


Memories Of The Future

by Mythical-Ross (ScorchedAngel), ScorchedAngel



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, College, Established Relationship, First Time, Fluff, Groping, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Pining, Platonic Cuddling, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Spooning, Time Travel, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2020-07-08 19:49:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 34,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19875118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorchedAngel/pseuds/Mythical-Ross, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorchedAngel/pseuds/ScorchedAngel
Summary: No one buys a time machine on Craigslist and expects it to work. If someone had mastered time travel, you’d have heard about it. The world would be full of tourists from the future! You definitely wouldn’t expect something that looks like a lawnmower engine spray painted gold and advertised as “Time Machine (broken)” to be anything other than a piece of modern art at best.Rhett and Link accidentally discover time travel on an episode of GMM. When Rhett is transported back to 1998, he gets a stark reminder of the relationship he and Link used to have.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this is unbeta'd, but the chapters that sound better were probably edited by @soho-x, @Santa-Monica-Yacht-Club or @Iloveyouthree-thousand. Thank you so much guys

No one buys a time machine on Craigslist and expects it to work. If someone had mastered time travel, you’d have heard about it. The world would be full of tourists from the future! You definitely wouldn’t expect something that looks like a lawnmower engine spray painted gold and advertised as “Time Machine (broken)” to be anything other than a piece of modern art at best.

The segment had gone well overall. Rhett and Link had carefully inspected random items from Craigslist to guess how much they cost, from a box of pens with random logos to a single shoe covered in what the seller claimed was human hair. Everyone however, had been fascinated by the (broken) Time Machine that had been purchased for the bargain price of $150. It looked like something a 25 year old man who prefers cars to people might have on his coffee table. Continuing the theme Good Mythical More saw Rhett and Link “fixing” said time machine with a selection of tools… from Craigslist.

“I feel like I just want to…” Link said, miming hitting the thing with a hammer.

“Ah ah, no you don’t,” Rhett said, and took the hammer out of his hand. “I want to time travel man! I’m not going to let you break it more.”

“Uh, okay. Well I’m sure we can figure this out. We were engineers!” Link announced.

“Alright Mr Scott, why don’t you try and figure out what powers it and I’ll reattach this thing,” Rhett said as he screwed down a circuit board onto an exposed panel.

Surprisingly, after 5 minutes of poking, exploring and just a little bit of hammering, the machine looked a little better.

“I’m gonna go back to the aughts and tell myself to skip the chin strap and just grow a full beard,” Rhett grinned.

“I’m going back to the eighties to try and score some sweet new kicks!” Link laughed.

“What if it’s like Terminator and you show up naked and can’t bring anything back with you?” Rhett teased.

Link narrowed his eyes, “Don’t make me find my younger self and talk him out of being friends with you.”

“But then there’ll be no GMM and no time machine and none of this will ever have happened so it won’t make a difference.”

“Oookay Rhett,” Link said with a grin, as he placed what he assumed was the battery back in its casing.

Rhett give the machine a look over. “I think we’re done.”

“Press the button,” Link urged in a whisper.

Rhett pushed his chair back from the desk and leaned back. “Are you kidding? We don’t know what we’re doing. I’m not turning it on! You turn it on.”

“Ok,” said Link, looking at the machine with suspicion. A number of people in the studio held their breath as his finger hovered over the button. Link visibly braced himself as he pressed it. With a gasp, his whole body seemed to spasm and he started shaking violently; eyes wide, he looked to Rhett and screamed.

Rhett rolled his eyes and laughed at the familiar bit.

“Just kidding. The power isn’t connected,” Link grinned as he clicked the battery pack into place. “Your turn.”

Rhett shuffled forward again to have a look at what they’d done. The battery was barely larger than a phone battery. There were still bits of wire sticking out all over the place and nothing seemed to be connected to anything else. How bad could it be? “Ok, fine.”

There was only one button on the whole thing. A big red button that would have looked inviting in another situation. No screens, no other form of input, no indication that there was anything going on inside it. “See y’all in 2006,” Rhett said before pressing the button.

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

The next thing Rhett was aware of was the pain as his head connected with concrete. 

He lay motionless on his back for a moment, staring at the sky and vaguely aware of a number of people running towards him. He didn’t remember coming outside. He tried to sit up but a firm hand on his chest pushed him back down. As faces moved into his line of sight, he became aware of someone speaking to him over the ringing in his ears.

“Are you okay?” he heard echoing in his brain.

“What happened?” he managed to say. His own voice sounded strange to him.

“Don’t try to move, just relax,” a male voice said.

“He just collapsed,” another was saying.

Rhett tried to look around to figure out where he was and how he’d gotten there. All he could see was a cloudy sky and a corona of faces staring down at him.

“What’s your name?” a young woman said.

“Rhett,” he said confidently. “Rhett McLaughlin.”

“What’s your major?” she asked next.

“My what?” Rhett replied, squinting to try and see her back-lit face.

“You can’t remember?” she asked, starting to sound concerned. More conversations he couldn’t make out were going on above him.

“Maybe I should call an ambulance,” someone else said.

“No, I’m fine!” Rhett said, and tried to sit up again. “I must have just tripped and fell. I majored in Engineering.”

He was vaguely aware of a mumbled conversation going on above his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position. The girl who’d been asking him questions placed a hand on his back to help hold him up. “If you hit your head you might want to get checked out,” she said calmly. The group that had come to help was already starting to disperse.

“Thanks, but I think I’m okay,” Rhett replied. He looked curiously at the white sneakers he was wearing, trying to remember putting them on that morning.

“Here, why don’t we get you to that bench over there,” a young guy to his right suggested. He and the girl helped Rhett to his feet. “Is this yours?” the guy said, picking up a backpack from the ground where Rhett had been lying.

“Uh, no. I don’t think so,” Rhett said. Though it did look familiar.

“It’s got your name on it,” the girl said.

Sure enough there was a label on the back with his name and an old address on it. “Oh right,” he said staring at the back. “I guess I forgot I had that…”

They led him a few feet to a wooden bench with an old ad along the back. Rhett sat down heavily and looked up at the two people he now realised weren’t much more than kids. “Thanks for your help. I’ll be okay.”

“You sure you don’t want someone to wait with you for a while?” the girl said.

“There’s a phone right over there,” the boy said, pointing to a payphone across the street, “You want me to call someone?”

“I’m fine, honestly,” he said absent-mindedly reaching for the pocket where his phone should be. “I’ll call my friend to come and pick me up. If I can find my phone that is.”

“Here, I got you,” the guy said, reaching into his own jeans pocket. He handed Rhett a pile of change and smiled encouragingly.

“Uh… thanks,” Rhett said without returning the smile.

“Promise you’ll at least go to the nurse if anything doesn’t feel right?” the girl said.

“Sure,” Rhett said, feeling more confused than ever.

They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, leaving Rhett alone on the bench. He slipped the handful of change into his pocket and checked again for his phone. He wondered for a second if he’d been unconscious and someone had robbed him, although he still had his wallet. As he started trying to piece together what had happened, he reached up to smooth down his inevitably messy hair. He jerked his hand away when his fingers made contact with the prickly hairs of a buzz cut.

“What the hell?” he said out loud. He tentatively moved one hand to his face and felt his heart start to race when all he found was some coarse scruff, like he hadn’t shaved for a day or two.

What had happened to him? He’d have remembered shaving his beard off and cutting his hair, but right now he wasn’t even sure where he was. He glanced up at the red-brick buildings surrounding him and tried to spot something he recognised. Moments later he discovered he recognised all of it. The buildings, the railings, the sidewalks, the damn bench he was sitting on. _This is NC State,_ he realised.

He had to be dreaming. It was the only thing that made sense. He’d had lucid dreams before, but nothing like this. Despite his best efforts, he’d never been able to induce them on a regular basis. He looked at his hands and counted his fingers as the lucid dreaming blogs suggested. Ten. Okay, that didn’t mean anything. He tried again. Still ten.

He took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. He couldn’t remember how he got there or why. None of his clothes felt familiar. He was alone and didn’t have his phone with him. Maybe he’d hit his head harder than he realised. He thought back to the last thing he remembered. He was at work, on set, just finishing up filming. He and Link had been…

“No way,” he breathed.

He rubbed his hand over his face again before getting up and running over to a car parked nearby. He bent down and peered into a wing mirror to confirm what he already knew. He barely recognised the face looking back at him. He touched his face again, just to be sure it really was a mirror and not a picture of himself at about 18.

He stumbled on his way back to the bench, drawing looks from a few people walking past, but he ignored them and flopped back down onto the bench.

This wasn’t possible. Time travel wasn’t real, and even if it was, this wouldn’t be how it worked. Right? It had to be a dream.

Hesitantly, he got to his feet. He needed to calm down - people were starting to stare. All he wanted to do was go home, but since that wasn’t an option, he decided to try and find what had passed for home at that stage in his life. The dorm room he shared with Link.

The mere thought that Link was here somewhere was enough to calm him down. He was pretty sure he could remember the way, so he picked up what he now realised was his book bag and headed across campus. A quick check of a map on the side of a building confirmed he was headed in the right direction. He soon found himself entering the building that had been home to him and Link for their first years of college.

He hadn’t been there in over 20 years, but as he walked down the second floor corridor towards their dorm room, he found the feelings of familiarity and nostalgia overwhelming. When he reached the door, he could hear music coming from inside that couldn’t have been anyone other than Link. He didn’t bother trying to find a key; he just knocked and waited. Moments later he could hear Link fiddling with the lock.

The feeling when he saw Link for the first time was almost indescribable. Like seeing a relative he thought was dead while hearing a song he used to love but hadn’t heard in 20 years. Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face.

“Rhett!” Link said, looking concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Despite the tears, Rhett laughed. “Nothing. I’m just really happy to see you.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Details from their past are semi-fictional with elements of truth. If I got anything wrong it was probably on purpose!

Link gave a nervous laugh, his face still showing concern. His hand went to Rhett’s elbow and pulled him gently towards the room. “Did something happen? Where’s your key?”

“Must’ve forgot it,” Rhett muttered and allowed Link to lead him into the room. The tears were coming in full force as he looked around their shared dorm, so full of  _ them _ . From the posters on the walls to the clothes on the floor to the country music playing in the background. There were moments throughout his life he’d always wanted to revisit, but this would never even have crossed his mind. Now he wished he could bottle it. 

Link stepped in front of him and gave him a little nudge. “Hey. What’s going on? Why are you crying? Why aren’t you in class?”

“I’m sorry,” Rhett said, shaking himself out of his trance, “it’s nothing. I’m just feeling… a little emotional I guess.”

“Well that’s a first,” Link snorted. He sat down on the couch and motioned for Rhett to join him.

Rhett tried to steady his breathing as he took in Mr Fly in all its glory. He and Link had talked about that couch so much in recent years and he’d never expected to see it again. Link gave him a curious look as he reached one hand to touch the arm of the sofa. It was worn but still felt velvety, just like he remembered. He spun in place and threw himself down just like his mom always told him not to. Turning to Link, he wiped the tears from his face and smiled broadly.

“You’re acting so weird man,” Link said, looking him over. “Did you bang your head or something?”

“Yeah actually,” Rhett said, “but I’m fine. I just need to sit down for a while.”

“Why are you talking like that?” Link said with a nervous laugh.

“Like what?”

“Like… you’re putting on an accent and talkin’ all low.”

He was suddenly aware of how pronounced Link’s drawl used to be. They’d focused hard on minimising their accents over the years.

His voice hadn’t felt right since he’d first come to, but he hadn’t thought much of it. Perhaps his more mature mind wasn’t compatible with immature vocal chords. “My name is Rhett,” he said, trying what he thought was a natural timbre. It felt off. “My name is Rhett,” he tried again, lightening his tone slightly. “Your name is Link,” he told Link who’d been regarding him with a weird look. It still sounded strange to him but felt more natural in his throat.

“Uh… thanks for the update,” Link said, shuffling closer to Rhett on the couch. “Where did you hit your head?” 

“The back I guess,” Rhett said as he reached for the base of his skull. The buzz cut took him by surprise again, but he thought he hid it well. 

Link reached up and replaced Rhett’s hand with his own and ran his fingers over the soft, short hairs and the back of Rhett’s head. Rhett’s heartbeat quickened slightly at the touch. “There’s no bump, but you could still have a concussion,” he said.

“Good,” Rhett said, and gently pushed Link’s hand away. “I swear, I’ll be okay. I just need to rest for a little while. Why don’t you tell me what you did today?”

Link looked unconvinced, but he complied anyway. Rhett leaned back and made himself comfortable. 

“Well I got up and had some Pop Tarts for breakfast. Strawberry ones. Then I had a shower and went to class. Fluid dynamics… snore. Greg and I wanted to see if we could convince the lady from the C-Store to give us extra cinnamon buns…”

As Link continued his story, Rhett sat back and took everything in. Parts of his college experience had been so well documented, but these little moments he’d with Link and the times he and their other friends had just hung out together had almost faded completely. He smiled as Link became more animated, getting excited about an interaction he’d had with a professor he wanted to impress. Rhett nodded encouragingly- he couldn’t remember this particular story, but it was important to this version of Link.

He tried not to stare at Link’s hair, but it was hard not to. It had gone through a lot of phases throughout the years but this had been a particularly strange one (not that it seemed that way at the time). It was like a bowl cut, and while it didn’t look  _ bad _ exactly, it didn’t really look good either. He resisted the urge to give Link style tips, given his own current condition.

“Okay,” Link said as he came to the end of his story. “Your turn. What happened to you today?”

Rhett sighed and scrubbed his hand across his mouth. He wanted to tell Link the truth (as least what he thought was the truth) but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. If he believed him, maybe he could help him get back. If he didn’t, he’d probably call for an ambulance. If this was all a dream then it didn’t matter anyway. “I can’t remember,” he said eventually.

Link looked at him with sympathy and concern. “Rhett…”

“No listen,” he said before Link could jump to any conclusions. “I think I travelled through time to get here.”

Link didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Rhett could practically see the gears in his head turning as he tried to decide if he should play along. “Okay…” 

“Before I hit my head, the last thing I remember it was 2019 and we had a time machine. I pressed a button and next thing I knew,” he gestured at himself, indicating his current state. 

“You’re from the future?” Link said sceptically. “Come on Rhett, this isn’t funny. You might have really hurt yourself.”

“I’m serious! I’m from the future. I just… jumped into my younger body.”

“That’s not how time travel works,” Link said. “I’m starting to think you have more than a concussion.” 

“I’m telling you Link! That’s what happened.”

“Alright then, tell me, Mr Future Man, who's President of the United States in 2019?” Obviously pleaded with himself for making a reference Rhett would appreciate.

Rhett rolled his eyes. “First, I am _not_ answering that. Second, no Back To The Future jokes until you’ve seen the movie.” 

“I’ve seen-”

“No you haven’t,” Rhett grinned. “You admitted it to me when we were seniors and we watched it together. You love it by the way.”

“What…” 

“I’m telling you man, I’m from the future.” 

Link slumped back against the couch and crossed his arms. He looked Rhett over with suspicion. He looked like he was considering believing him, but eventually he shook his head. “I dunno Rhett, you know I’m always willing to go along with things, but you could be really sick.” He sighed. “What would you think if I came home and said I’d hit my head and had seen the future?”

“I’d probably be taking you to a doctor,” Rhett conceded. “What can I do to prove this to you?”

Link thought for a moment. “I don’t know if you could. Tell me something amazing about the future.”

“Easy. In the future everyone has a mini computer in their pocket at all times that can connect them to the whole world... and it’s a camera!”

Link knotted his eyebrows and shook his head slightly, “That sure does sound amazing.”

“You can pause live TV. You can get McDonalds delivered to your house. Gay marriage is legal. There are cars that run on electric instead of gas. Men wear really skinny jeans.” Rhett said, without taking a breath.

“Woah, okay okay,” Link said, placing a hand on Rhett’s knee. “That’s enough…”

“Thank you,” Rhett said, brushing Link's hand away.

“I believe you. For now,” Link said. “But if you show any other symptoms of a head injury, I’m taking you straight to a doctor.”

Rhett sighed in relief. “Thank you Link, I knew I could count on you.” 

Link smiled and looked him over again. “Sooo, you’re like a real grownup huh?”

“Well… yeah. We don’t always act like it but yeah,” Rhett said, smiling back. 

“When you say ‘we’...”

“You’re there too, don’t worry,” Rhett said. He thought he probably shouldn’t elaborate.

Link nodded and smiled slightly, “Are we happy?”

Rhett felt a twinge of regret and sadness when he realised he might not be able to get back to his own time. “We sure are.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Rhett!” Link shouted as a flash of light burst from the machine and knocked him backwards. Rhett’s chair tipped back, spilling him onto the floor behind the desk. “Oh my goodness,” Link mumbled as he rushed to his friend’s side. 

Rhett opened his eyes and looked up at the faces of the people rushing towards him. Link looked helplessly up at Morgan who was standing closest. “I’ll call an ambulance,” he said as he pulled out his phone, trying and failing to sound calm.

“Can you hear me?” Link said, nervously gripping Rhett’s left arm.

Rhett gave a grunt of acknowledgement. 

“Can you talk?”

He grunted again but managed a “Yeah.”

“What’s your name?” Link said, trying not to panic.

“Rhett. Rhett McLaughlin,” he said, sounding a little more confident.

“What’s my name?” Link asked and leaned a little closer so he was in Rhett’s line of sight.

Rhett gave him a confused look and glanced around the room. His eyes settled again on Link and scanned his face, making Link nervous. “Link?” Rhett said uncertainly. 

“Yeah, it’s me buddy,” Link said, giving Rhett’s arm a gentle squeeze.

“The ambulance is going to be a while,” Morgan said, and crouched down beside Link, “he’s less of a priority since he’s conscious.” 

Link nodded seriously. “Maybe we should get him off the floor,” he suggested.

“The couch?” Morgan said, pointing across the set. 

Link looked to Rhett who was still staring at him in confusion. “Can you sit up?”

“I think so,” Rhett said, pushing himself up slightly. Several hands helped him into a sitting position and Link and Morgan helped him to his feet. “What’s going on?” Rhett asked Link in a hushed voice.

“You got a shock from that machine or something,” Link said, trying not to go into too much detail and confuse him further. He turned to Stevie who was following them closely. “See if you can clear the room,” he said quietly. He didn’t want Rhett to be too overwhelmed. 

Rhett sat heavily down on the couch and looked around curiously. Link gave Morgan a nod of thanks and sat down beside Rhett. “Did you hit your head?” he asked, looking him over. His tumble to the floor had looked more violent than the shock from the machine. 

“Maybe,” Rhett said and reached up to feel the back of his head. When his hand made contact with hair he jerked it away and looked at his hand in confusion.

“Don’t worry man, we’ll get you checked out,” Link said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. 

Rhett was quiet for a moment as he stared at his hands. It was like he’d never seen them before. “Link,” he said quietly, “where are we?”

Link’s heart sank. If Rhett had bumped his head and was confused, it was probably a bad sign. “We’re at work Rhett. You don’t recognize it?” 

“I barely recognize you,” he said. He lifted his hand to touch his face and seemed surprised by his own beard. “Or myself,” he added.

Link wasn’t sure if it was best to keep talking to him or to let him rest until the ambulance arrived. He considered Googling it, but before he had a chance, Stevie was approaching with a glass of water. She handed it to Rhett and gave him a small smile, “here you go. How are you feeling?”

Rhett smiled back politely. “I feel okay actually,” he replied.

“He’s a little confused,” Link said as Rhett took a sip of water, “having a bit of trouble with his memory. You think we should cancel the ambulance? I can just drive him to the emergency room.” 

Stevie just nodded. “Do you want me to call Jessie?” 

“If you don’t mind. Ask her to meet us at the hospital.”

“No problem. I’ll leave you two alone, but if you need anything you know where to find me.”

“Thanks Stevie,” Link said genuinely as she walked away. “Do you remember Stevie?” he asked Rhett.

Rhett shook his head. “The last thing I remember… I was at school, on my way to class.”

“Oh gosh Rhett, you’ve a lot of catching up to do. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll all come back to you soon,” he patted Rhett’s knee gently, hoping to God that was true. 

Link loaded Rhett into his car and drove out of the parking lot with a guard of honor from the worried looking crew. Rhett seemed to calm down a little when they were alone and familiar music played through the car stereo. As Link navigated the streets near the studio, heading for the highway, Rhett just stared out the window.

“Where are we?” Rhett asked after a few minutes. 

“Burbank,” Link told him. “It doesn’t look familiar?”

Rhett shook his head. “Who’s meeting us at the hospital?”

“Jessie,” Link said cautiously, afraid of upsetting him. “Do you know who she is?”

“No,” Rhett said, still looking out the window. 

“I should probably let her know we’re on our way,” Link muttered to himself. “Hey Siri,” he said, and waited for the sound confirming he’d been heard.

“What?” Rhett said, turning back to look at Link.

“Shh, I’m talking to my phone,” he said quietly so his voice wouldn’t be picked up on the car’s Bluetooth. 

“Sorry Link. There’s nothing to repeat,” said the robotic voice from his car’s speakers. 

“Tell Jessie we’ll be there in 10 minutes,” he said clearly so the Siri app would understand him. 

“Your message to Jessie McLaughlin says we’ll be there in ten minutes. Are you ready to send it?”

“Yes,” Link said, wishing it hadn’t read Jessie’s full name. He glanced at Rhett and found him staring open mouthed at him. “What’s wrong?”

“What year is this?” Rhett asked incredulously.

“Um, it’s 2019 bud,” Link said.

“Did your car send a message to someone else’s car?” Rhett asked, looking at the dashboard suspiciously. “Who’s Jessie?”

“Jessie’s your wife man. It’ll come back to you. And I sent a message to her phone. My phone’s connected to the car.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket to show Rhett.

“I’m married?” Rhett said, taking the phone off Link. “And this is a phone? It doesn’t look like a phone… it doesn’t look like anything!”

Rhett’s newfound sense of wonder and confusion was equal parts endearing and terrifying for Link. He was no expert on memory loss, but he didn’t think it was normal to forget fundamental knowledge like what a cellphone was. He tried to change the subject to keep them both calm. “So you said the last thing you remember, you were on your way to class?”

“Yeah,” Rhett said, nodding slightly. “I had Mechanics with Professor Ward. I can’t remember making it to class, but I had an assignment to turn in. You and I had plans to see a movie that night. Probably Titanic.”

Link laughed nervously to himself. He remembered the night he and Rhett had seen Titanic together. “No kidding.” He tried not to react too much, but he knew all too well why that day would have held significance to Rhett. “What else do you remember?”

“I was wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. Actually, my favorite shirt. And my white Adidas sneakers. My backpack was really heavy and I was rushing across campus so I could put it down.” 

“Wow,” Link said hesitantly. “That's… a lot of detail for a 20 year old memory.”

Rhett shrugged. “It feels like it was only an hour ago.”

“Is something wrong with your throat? Your voice sounds kind of weird,” Link said, not sure what the right word was. “Higher or something.”

“I don’t think so. It sounds funny to me too though. So does yours,” he added. “Your accent is weird.”

Link snorted. If the last thing Rhett remembered was Link from 20 years ago, he probably did sound weird. “And this is my worried voice. You should hear me when I’m actually thinking about it.”

They arrived at the hospital and Link led Rhett inside. While Rhett took a seat in the waiting room, Link checked him in at the reception desk. He helped Rhett fill in the questionnaire (since he didn’t remember the answer to any of the questions) and Rhett signed the bottom with what sort of looked like his signature. 

They sat in silence while Rhett looked around the room, fascinated by a world he didn’t recognize. “What’s that thing?” he asked, nodding at a guy sitting across from them using an iPad.

“It’s a computer,” Link replied, “but I think he’s using it to read a book.”

“Cool,” Rhett simply said, and went back to looking around. Link couldn’t help but smile. Rhett had always been so curious and suddenly he had so many things to be curious about. 

When Jessie walked into the waiting room, Link rushed over to meet her so he could talk out of earshot from Rhett. She smiled weakly and gave Link a hug. “Thanks for getting him here so fast,” she said, before pushing him away and punching his arm, just hard enough to make him whimper. “What the hell were you guys doing? Stevie said he was electrocuted by something you bought on Craigslist?” 

Link cringed. It sounded so dumb when she put it like that. “It was just a bit. You should’ve seen the thing, it didn’t look like it could possibly have done any damage.” 

Jessie shook her head like a disappointed parent. “Honestly, you two… How is he?”

Link glanced back at Rhett who was regarding them curiously. “Physically he seems fine, but he’s lost his memory. He says he can’t remember the past like, 20 years.”

“Oh my gosh, Link,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand. “He doesn’t know me?” 

Link shook his head. “He knows me… just about, but not much else. The last thing he remembers was being in college. Come on, I saved you a seat,” he said, leading Jessie over to Rhett.

Jessie kept back a little, not wanting to freak Rhett out. “Hi Rhett,” she said kindly.

“Hello,” he replied, glancing at Link. “Jessie?”

“Do you remember me?” she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. “Sorry.”

“It’ll come back,” Link repeated. The phrase was becoming a mantra he repeated to himself every time he worried about Rhett’s situation. 

It was almost an hour before Rhett was taken. Link and Jessie followed, but when the doctor sent Rhett for various tests and scans, they were sent back to the waiting room. It was another stressful hour of stilted conversation, neither wanting to talk about anything other than Rhett while at the same time, trying not to worry about him. 

“Tell me again what you were fooling around with when it happened?” Jessie asked. 

Having to say it out loud made it all seem so silly. “On Craigslist it was listed as a broken time machine. To be honest it looked like a high school art project. We didn’t expect it to actually do anything!”

“And it electrocuted him?”

“I guess so…” Link said. When he thought back, he had immediately grabbed Rhett’s arm and could have got shocked himself. “He pressed the button and there was a flash of light. The battery was so little though, I don’t know how the shock could have been so bad. We’re usually so careful. The crew don’t usually let us touch anything _that_ dangerous.”

Jessie gave a small laugh. “So Rhett pressed a button on a time machine and suddenly thinks he’s 20 years younger?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Link snorted. “If Rhett was here right now he’d probably be trying to convince us we accidentally found a real time machine.”

“No one’s going to believe this one,” Jessie said, elbowing him playfully.

Eventually a woman in scrubs approached them to ask if they were Rhett’s family. 

“He’s still confused and we’re going to keep him here, at least until the results of his brain scans come back. The specialist is with him now if you’d like to join them.” She led them through the hospital, down numerous corridors and up (and down) some flights of stairs to what would be Rhett’s room for the night.

They found him sitting against the head of a hospital bed, listening to another doctor. He looked relieved to see them.

“I was just telling Rhett,” the doctor told them, “everything so far seems normal, apart from the memory. I’d be happier if I knew what had caused it but he’s a little foggy on the details. Maybe you could help fill in the gaps, Link is it?”

“Sure,” Link said hesitantly, not really sure he had anything to add. The doctor took him aside while Jessie and Rhett made awkward small talk. Link explained what happened once more and the doctor listened carefully. “He says he didn’t hit his head but I didn’t see.”

“Okay. This type of amnesia is quite unusual,” the doctor said, making notes on a chart. “If he didn’t hurt his head, it’s possible this is what is known as transient global amnesia, which should clear itself up within 8 hours. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Link nodded. “Thanks doctor. I’m sure it’ll come back to him soon.”

When they were alone, Rhett filled them in on what the doctor had said. None of them had eaten for most of the day so Jessie volunteered to go to the strip mall nearby and get them all food.

“This isn’t right Link,” Rhett said as soon as they were alone.

“I know Rhett, that’s why you’re in hospital,” Link said, trying to lighten him up a little.

“No, I mean I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with me. I don’t feel like I have amnesia.”

Rhett’s voice still sounded a little off, as though he were trying to sound younger. If Link had closed his eyes he might have been able to imagine he was speaking to 20 year old Rhett. “I don’t know what to say man, you definitely _sound_ like you’ve lost your memory.”

“What if the time machine really worked?” Rhett said, looking at Link with an expression of wonder Link hadn’t seen in years.

“Rhett… it was a piece of crap we bought online,” he said, before adding, “I mean, we got it from some random stranger. Time machines aren’t real.”

“I think it worked,” Rhett said matter of factly. 

“What, the time machine sent your mind back in time but not your body? That’s not how time travel works,” Link said skeptically.

“Why you always gotta be so practical. And how would you know how time travel works?” Rhett said, crossing his arms indignantly.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer,” Link said stubbornly. The truth was, he’d already been entertaining the idea for the past few hours. He’d spent an awful lot of time alone with his thoughts since they arrived at the hospital. Sure it was ridiculous, but if he tracked down the guy who sold the time machine and asked them some questions, he would at least get a good story out of it. “Tell you what,” he said after a pause, “if you don’t get any better in the next 24 hours and the doctor can’t find anything physically wrong with you, we can pay a visit to the person who sold the time machine.”

Rhett smiled so broadly, Link couldn’t help smiling back. “Thank you Link, I knew I could count on you. I didn’t really believe you’d gotten old and boring.”

“Uh… thanks,” Link replied. “We’ll figure this out, don’t worry.”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine,” Rhett said, nodding solemnly. “Hey, come and sit here with me,” he said as he scooted across the bed to make room for Link. “You’re making me nervous standing over me like that.”

Link did as he was told and sat down beside Rhett, their legs pressed together on the narrow bed. Rhett dropped his head so it rested against Link’s and sighed contentedly. 

“I like the glasses,” Rhett said after a few moments.

“Oh, thanks,” Link chuckled. 

“I haven’t seen anyone wearing glasses like that since my grandpa when I was a little kid, but they look good on you,” he said with a grin.

“Hey, these are very fashionable nowadays,” Link said, feigning offence. They both giggled, heads still connected. “Do you like your beard?”

Rhett lifted his hand to his face and stroked it experimentally. “Yeah I guess I do. It looked weird to me at first but I like that it makes my face look longer. Do you like it?”

“Of course,” Link said, “Who do you think encouraged you to grow it?”

Without speaking, Rhett snaked his hand around Link’s waist and placed the other hand on Link’s thigh. Link let out a small gasp and glanced at the door. Here it was, the thing he didn’t want to think about. What he hoped he wouldn’t have to confront before Rhett got his memory back. He closed his eyes and dared himself to savor the moment before snapping himself out of it.

Link lifted his head and pulled away slightly; Rhett gave him a puzzled look. “We don’t do that anymore man,” he said, sounding more sad than he intended.

“Oh,” Rhett said, withdrawing his arms. 

“We’re still close,” Link said quickly, “like, super close. Just not… you know.” He suddenly remembered the significance of the day they’d seen Titanic together.

“No, it’s fine. I get it,” Rhett said, awkwardly shuffling away from Link. “Why don’t you, uh, show me your phone. I heard the doctor talk about using his to watch TV. Can yours do that?”

“It sure can,” Link said, relieved by the change of subject. “Here, see for yourself.”

When Jessie returned with sandwiches she found Rhett taking selfies and playing with Snapchat filters. “Well at least you found something productive to do,” she said with a laugh.

“No one’s gonna believe this when I get back to my own time,” Rhett said with a conspiratorial grin at Link.


	5. Chapter 5

Link pulled his legs up onto the couch and looked Rhett over. “If you’re here, what do you think happened to… my Rhett? Is he in your time?”

Rhett thought about what he was doing when he was pulled into the past. What would he have thought of GMM at 19? He kinda hoped there wasn’t a younger version of himself running around in the wrong time period. “I don’t know,” he said, lifting his hand to his face. The feeling of stubble on his chin was so strange he couldn’t stop touching it.

“How are you going to get back?” Link asked .

“I don’t know that either. I don’t think there’s anything I can do from here. I don’t know who built the machine so I can’t ‘Back To The Future’ it,” he nudged Link’s leg and grinned, “don’t worry, you’ll understand that reference some day.” 

“Alright…” Link said, rolling his eyes.

“I guess I just have to wait for my Link to figure out what happened,” Rhett said. It occurred to him present day Link would probably have an even harder time believing this than 19 year old Link.

“So you’re stuck here with me,” Link said with a small smile.

Rhett shrugged. “I could do worse.” He was eager to get back to his own time, but hanging out with this version of Link wouldn’t be so bad. “Hey, what year is this?” 

“January ninety-eight,” Link said and Rhett nodded. “Is there anything you want to do while you’re here?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rhett thought for a moment. “I kind of just want to look around. I haven’t been here in a long time, and some of it has changed. Did you have plans for the rest of today?”

“Not really. We were going to order pizza and go see a movie,” Link said, waving his hand dismissively. 

“We could still do that,” Rhett suggested, “but maybe you could give me a tour until then?”

Before long, Link was leading Rhett on a tour of the campus. Rhett had specifically asked to see the boring, everyday stuff, so Link took him to the gas station a couple of blocks away where they sometimes bought ice cream, to the bench on the quad that always served as their meeting point, and finally, to the dorm parking lot so Rhett could visit his old Dodge Intrepid.

“Would you look at that…” Rhett muttered to himself. He’d been relieved the day he’d finally been able to get rid of it, but he’d always had a soft spot for that car. He and Link had gone on many road trips to nowhere in it. Plus, it was the car he’d packed with his stuff and driven himself to college in (with his parents following in the car behind of course). 

“Bringing back memories?” Link asked, grinning up at him.

“It sure is. I had a lot of good times in that car,” Rhett said wistfully.

“Heh. Yeah, me too,” Link said, elbowing Rhett in the ribs suggestively. 

“Can we visit the library?” Rhett asked, choosing to ignore Link’s comment. While Rhett hadn’t spent that much time there studying, he had spent a lot of time there avoiding lectures he thought sounded particularly boring. He and his Walkman had passed a lot of happy hours in a study booth sneaking potato chips when no one was looking.

Back in their dorm, Rhett picked up his old guitar and sat on the couch. After a very necessary tune-up he played arpeggios quietly while Link tried to find the menu for the pizza place. 

“Where did I put it?” Link asked himself more than Rhett, as he searched through a pile of papers on his desk.

“You expect me to remember?” Rhett laughed. 

Link stopped what he was doing to listen to Rhett play. Rhett smiled up at him and started playing a riff from one of their songs, just to see how Link would react.

“Do you still play?” Link asked, sounding hopeful.

“Well… not this guitar, thanks to you, but yeah. I play,” Rhett said, wondering how much about their shared future he should tell Link.

“Good,” said Link. “I always like to hear you play.” He hesitated before continuing, “I don’t know what I’m allowed to ask. If you tell me too much will it stop it from happening?”

Rhett shrugged. “How should I know? This is my first time travel experience too.”

Link nodded, letting the subject drop. “Why don’t you play me a song while I look for the menu?” 

“Why do you need the menu anyway? You always order the same thing.” 

Link opened a desk drawer and poked at the contents. “I don’t remember the phone number.”

“Why don’t you just Google it?” Rhett said without thinking.

“Why don’t I What?” Link said without looking up.

“Why don’t you just use the phone book?” Rhett amended.

“Because there are two Mario’s Pizzas in the phone book and I don’t know which is the good one and which is the disgusting one.”

“Oh yeah,” Rhett said, remembering the ‘local pizza taste test’ they had when they first moved in. He let Link get back to his search and sang a Merle Haggrd song he knew Link would recognise. 

Link crossed the room to Rhett’s desk and looked over at him. “Can I?” he said, indicating he wanted to look through Rhett’s stuff. 

“Uh… yeah I guess,” Rhett said. He couldn’t think of anything he’d have been keeping out in the open on his desk that he wouldn’t want Link to see. Though he did feel a little uncomfortable when Link started rifling through the drawers.

“Ah ha!” Link said triumphantly as he finally found the menu.

“Well done,” Rhett said with a laugh.

“The usual?” Link asked and Rhett nodded. “Can I borrow your phone card? Mine’s empty.” 

It took Rhett a second to realise what Link was talking about. Rather than pumping change into the payphone, they had prepaid cards so they could call home easily (or order pizza of course). Rhett checked his back pocket and found his wallet. He remembered it instantly - it was plain black leather with his initials in the corner and while it wasn’t expensive, his dad had given it to him as a graduation present and it had sentimental value. He flipped it open and chuckled at the picture on his ID.

“What’s this?” Link said, interrupting Rhett’s train of thought. He was holding a white envelope with ‘Link’ written on it in Rhett’s handwriting.

Rhett felt a tightening in his chest. “I can’t remember,” he lied. “Let me see?”

Link handed him the envelope and looked at Rhett expectantly. 

“I’m not opening this in front of you, what if it’s something embarrassing?” Rhett said, pressing the envelope to his chest. 

“Alright, fine,” Link said. Rhett passed him the phone card and he reluctantly left the room.

Rhett opened the envelope and read the letter he vividly remembered. He had never delivered it, and as he read through the words on the page he remembered why. His throat tightened as he read and was reminded of old emotions and regrets. He had hoped he’d be able to get back to his own time period without confronting this… whatever it was, but if he’d been writing letters like this at 20 he was already in deep.

Rhett folded up the letter and stuffed it in his pocket. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and went back to playing guitar to distract himself.

“Well?” Link asked, as soon as he came back through the door.

“It was just a note asking you to pick up my laundry… which I guess you didn’t do,” Rhett said, hoping Link would let it drop.

“Uh huh…” he said, sounding unconvinced.

“How long til the pizza gets here?” Rhett was kind of curious what ‘the usual’ was going to be.

“Half hour or it’s free,” Link said with a slight shrug.

Rhett set his guitar on the floor leaning against the wall, and stretched himself out - one foot on the floor with the other in front of him on the couch. “What movie are we going to see?” 

“Titanic I think,” Link said before approaching the couch. Rhett went to move his leg and let Link sit down, but before he had a chance, Link surprised him by laying down between his legs, resting his head against Rhett’s chest.

Rhett instinctively draped his arm over Link’s shoulders. He swallowed hard and tried to act natural, but he was certain Link could feel his heart beating through his chest.

“Have you seen this?” Link said, holding the takeout menu up to Rhett’s face. “They have a pizza with cheese in the crust now.”

“Well, maybe you should have looked at the menu _before_ you ordered,” Rhett said. He was going for teasing but it came out sounding stilted. 

“Geez, I’m sorry,” Link said, misunderstanding the tone. “I will next time, ok?” 

“So Titanic huh?” Rhett said, succeeding in sounding a little more comfortable. “Whose choice was that?”

“Yours,” Link said with a slight laugh. 

“Oh.” 

Link reached up and pulled Rhett’s hand down so he was holding him more securely. Rhett pressed his palm in the centre of Link’s chest and Link covered it with his own. 

He’d seriously hoped it wouldn’t come up, but Rhett had promised himself he would say something the moment Link got too handsy. This definitely fell into that category, but something subconsciously blocked him from speaking. He closed his eyes and tried to sync up his breathing with the rise and fall of Link’s chest.

He still wanted to get back to his own time, but he couldn’t help wondering what would happen if he stayed and picked up his life from here. What would he do differently? Would he give Link that letter?

He allowed Link to stay like that for about five minutes. Hell, he allowed _himself_ to stay like that. He would have loved to just forget his real life and go back to the way things used to be. Eventually though, he knew he had to speak up. “Link this is a little weird for me, but... we don’t do this anymore,” Rhett said, feeling guilty for some reason. 

“You don’t? Why not?” Link said. He pulled away and sat up straight, still between Rhett’s legs. 

Rhett’s chest felt cold at the loss of physical contact. “Come on man, you know why,” he said, keeping his voice gentle. “We shouldn’t even have been doing it in college.” 

“Oh,” Link replied. He seemed to physically deflate, “So in the future we’re not, like…” 

“No,” Rhett said, suddenly experiencing a regret he hadn’t felt in almost 20 years. “We’re married. To women,” he added for clarity. 

“Oh. Well I suppose that’s good,” Link said. He looked down at his hands and pressed his thumbs together. “I guess I just figured some day… okay.”

The feeling of regret hit Rhett like a ton of bricks. He felt the threat of tears again and turned his face away (had he been this emotional when he was actually 20?). Everything felt much simpler in college when they were living in their own little world with no one to answer to and with no responsibilities. 

“You don’t have to be embarrassed Link,” Rhett said, trying to help and immediately making it worse.

“I’m not embarrassed,” he replied, clearly embarrassed. “I’m just… confused.” He stood up and crossed the room to sit on his bed. “Forget it, we don’t have to talk about this right now. And just because you and your Link… we’re not the same as you.”

Rhett couldn’t help but laugh. “You _are_ us. Look, nothing has to change with him. But I’m… I’m off limits. Okay?”

Link nodded, but didn’t meet Rhett’s eyes. “Okay. Though, if you change your mind, I’m not.”

“Hey,” Rhett said, and waited for Link to look at him. “I won’t.”


	6. Chapter 6

When the results came back to confirm there was nothing physically wrong with Rhett, the specialist agreed he should go home. Everyone was eager to get him into his own house, to familiar surroundings that might help him regain his memories. Everyone but Rhett.

“I don’t know those people,” he moaned at Link as he helped pack up Rhett’s toiletries. “Can’t I come home with you?”

“You won’t know anyone at my house either,” Link pointed out. “It’s fine, Jessie’s making up a bed for me so I can stay with you guys for a while.”

“Really?” Rhett said, perking up a little.

“Yeah, it’ll be like college but with better food,” he said as he handed Rhett the toiletry bag.

“Tomorrow can we try and find the guy who sold the time machine?” Rhett asked, stuffing his belongings haphazardly into a backpack. 

Link had sent Stevie a couple of messages asking her to try and find out where the machine had come from. It had taken a little convincing, but eventually she sent him a name and address. She had taken even more convincing to let them go on their own. “Maybe,” Link said, trying to manage Rhett’s expectations. 

They were soon driving to Rhett’s house in Link’s car while Rhett played with his phone. Link had found it on his desk and charged it for him so he could look at the photos when he was feeling a little better. For the time being, he was trying to get his head around Spotify. 

“What’s a podcast?” he asked as he played Taylor Swift songs through Link’s car stereo.

“It’s like a radio show,” Link said, “except you can listen to it any time you want.” 

“Huh, cool,” Rhett said. Link looked over to see him studying the icons on his phone’s home screen. 

“What’s eBay?” he asked next

“It’s an online store where anyone can sell anything. You can pretty much buy anything on there,” Link replied.

“Wow, sounds fun…What is Candy Crush?”

“You do _not_ have Candy Crush on your phone!” Link laughed. “After all the shit you gave me over playing Candy Crush!” 

Rhett just looked at him blankly.

“It’s a game,” Link explained, “an addictive one…”

“Oh… okay,” Rhett said, “What’s Grindr?” 

“Uhh,” Link said, pausing for a moment. Rhett had been using Grindr? He hadn’t given any indication that he was anything other than entirely happily married… and if he wasn’t why didn’t he mention it to Link? “You got Grindr on there?” he said, trying not to give anything away.

“Nah, I’m just kidding. I heard someone talking about it on TV,” Rhett grinned. 

“Oh… good one,” Link said, wanting to slap him.

When they arrived outside Rhett’s house Link looked over to check for any sign of recognition on Rhett’s face. Rhett looked curiously at the house and the cars in the driveway but didn’t seem to recognise anything.

“I live here?” he asked, sounding vaguely impressed.

“Yeah, do you like it?” Link said with a grin.

“It’s alright,” Rhett laughed.

As they got out of the car Link saw a flash of white as Barbara ran to meet Rhett who she hadn’t seen for days. Rhett’s face lit up when he saw her and he bent down to pick her up. “Hello…”

“Barbara,” Link supplied.

“Barbara,” Rhett grinned, and followed Link into the house.

Jessie was preparing dinner when they arrived, so Link took Rhett on a quick tour of the house. Link and Jessie had agreed it might be best not to introduce Rhett to the kids just yet, so they’d been packed off to Jessie’s parents for a few days, but there was evidence of them all over. Rhett seemed unphased.

Link wanted to give Rhett and Jessie some time to talk, so he kept quiet during dinner when he could. They chatted about what living in LA was like compared to North Carolina, the movies they liked as kids and the fact that Jessie’s dad had been Rhett’s dentist growing up. Link just listened and grinned at Rhett’s attempts at flirting 

Link thought it was very sweet until Rhett turned his flirtations on Link. 

“Do you like the lasagne Link?” Jessie asked, trying to bring Link back into the conversation.

Link nodded as he tried to swallow his last mouthful. “Great Jessie, thank you,” he mumbled, mouth still half full

“Link’s very discerning about what he puts in his mouth, aren’t you Link?”

“Rhett!” Link said quietly, his face reddening

Jessie just laughed, thankfully reading much less into the comment than Link. 

After dinner Link took Rhett (And Barbara) for a walk in the park. It was a chance for him to get some fresh air and ask more questions. 

“What is YouTube?” He asked first.

Link grinned. “It’s kind of like a TV channel where anyone can record whatever they want. Like local access TV for the whole world. That’s where our show is.”

“Huh, cool,” Rhett replied. He thought for a moment and added, “All those people around when I woke up… they work for us?” 

Link grinned. “Yeah, not bad huh?”

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed, not showing that much enthusiasm. “What’s Twitter?” he asked next.

“Uh…” Link struggled a bit to come up with an explanation. “It’s a place where you post stuff like… one sentence at a time. And other people can look them up. Boy it sounds dumb when you try to explain it.”

“Why?” Rhett asked.

“I have no idea,” Link admitted, “but everyone does it, even the president.” 

“That’s so weird.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Link’s explanations of the modern world ranged from unbelievably amazing to absolutely ridiculous, but Rhett was taking it all in his stride.

“Do you think your Rhett is in 1998?” Rhett asked suddenly.

Link realised he wasn’t going to let the time travel thing go. It felt so silly to even consider it. “I’m still not convinced you aren’t ‘my Rhett’,” he said, “but if you really did travel in time, then I guess it’s possible you switched places.”

“I wonder if he found Link,” Rhett said wistfully.

“They’re probably watching movies and eating pizza,” Link said, thinking back to their evenings spent together in college.

“I wonder if they went to see Titanic,” Rhett said.

“Hmm, yeah,” Link said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. If Rhett really was in the past, could he change it?

**-o-o-**

Rhett was sleeping in the guest room and Jessie had made up the fold away bed for Link.

“Am I famous?” Rhett asked Jessie as she handed him a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in.

She glanced at Link with a small smile. “Yeah, kind of,” she said. “You certainly have a following.” 

Rhett gave Link a questioning look and Link shrugged. “We do okay.”

Rhett nodded. “I’m glad we work together,” he said before muttering, “It’s better than nothing I guess.”

Link shook his head dismissively at Jessie who was giving him a weird look. He got the impression she was starting to pick up on Rhett’s strange comments. For now she let it go.

“‘Night boys, sleep well,” she said on her way out of the room.

“Thanks Jessie, g’night,” Link said as she closed the door. He turned to look at Rhett who was rearranging the pillows at the head of the bed. “You can’t keep talking like that man,” he said, quietly in case Jessie was still outside. Rhett kept moving the pillows around like he hadn’t heard him. Link suddenly felt like he was talking to one of his kids. “Are you listening to me?”

“Yeah,” Rhett grunted, still not looking up. He sat down on the other side of the bed with his back to Link.

“We just don’t have that kind of relationship any more,” Link said, wishing he didn’t sound so sad. “And as far as everyone knows, we never did.”

Rhett didn’t speak for a moment and Link could hear him breathing heavily, like he was trying to keep his emotions under control. “I know,” he said eventually. “But to me it feels like we did two days ago.” His voice broke on the last few words.

Link got up and joined him on the other side of the bed - poor Rhett looked miserable. He put his hand on Rhett’s back to try and comfort him. “Hey, I know it feels like crap now, but you’ll get over it real soon. I promise.”

“How long did it take you to get over it?” Rhett asked, sounding almost bitter.

Link sighed. He hadn’t. “It stopped hurting after a couple of weeks. You got over it faster though.”

“That seems unlikely.”

“C’mere,” Link said, getting to his feet. “Give me a hug.” 

Rhett reluctantly stood up and wrapped his arms around Link. “Sorry, this is all so weird to me,” he said, his voice ragged.

“I know buddy, it’s weird for me too. We haven’t talked about this stuff in a _really_ long time.” 

Link’s heartbeat quickened as Rhett pressed a kiss to the top of his head like he did when they were younger. He hoped Rhett couldn’t somehow sense it. “Let’s get some sleep,” he suggested. 

Link slipped out of the room to give Rhett some privacy and headed down the hall to the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror he couldn’t help wondering what this version of Rhett thought of him (whether time traveler or guy with amnesia). They were pretty much living out the lives they’d always planned, but he seemed somehow disappointed with every new thing he learned. 

As a teenager Link had thought they would probably end up _together_ together. They’d dated girls too, but it always felt like they were keeping up appearances. Link would have dropped anyone without hesitation if Rhett had said the word, but when they met girls that they could fall in love with… they just did. 

A gentle knock at the door interrupted his musing. Link opened it to Rhett in his pajamas. “You mind?” Rhett asked, holding up his toothbrush.

“Come on,” Link said, opening the door fully and nodding at the sink.

Rhett stepped up behind Link and looked at their reflection in the large mirror over the sink. Link could practically see Rhett trying to piece together what had happened to them in the past 20 years. Rhett lifted his hand to his face and stroked his beard, allowing himself a small smile. Next he put his hand on Link’s head and messed up his hair.

“Hey!” Link laughed, “cut it out man!”

“Your hair is so gray bo!” Rhett said, laughing as well.

“It’s probably the stress of working with you,” Link said, rolling his eyes.

“Stress can’t turn your hair gray,” Rhett said, and poked Link in the side in the soft spot under his ribs.

Link recoiled at the ‘attack’. “Hey!” he squeaked, before spinning around and poking Rhett in the stomach. 

“Ow,” Rhett exclaimed with a giggle. He poked the soft part of Link’s side before quickly grabbing his shoulders and holding him back at arms length.

Link, having missed his chance to retaliate just glared back at him. “Okay, I surrender,” he said, holding his hands up.

Rhett didn’t let go but looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. He let out a small “hmm”, and turned away guiltily. “You know Link, that uh… pull-out couch doesn’t look very comfortable. There’s plenty of space in the bed if you wanted…"

Link couldn’t help laughing. “Oh no. I’m not falling for that again!"

Rhett looked a little taken aback and laughed nervously. “Again?”

“Never mind. Just brush your teeth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying yourself so far. Don't worry, it'll earn that Explicit tag.  
> Come yell at me on Tumblr!


	7. Chapter 7

Just as Young Rhett and Link had planned, they went to the movies to see Titanic. Rhett had sort of hoped he’d be able to talk Link into a different, less romantic movie, but nothing else had caught their eye and he didn’t want to make a big deal of it.

“I bet I know how it ends,” Rhett joked as they stood in the queue.

Link rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know. You’ve seen it before,” he said drily. 

“I actually meant because… it’s about the Titanic,” Rhett said slowly.

Link looked at him blankly.

“And the Titanic was a real ship?” 

“Oh!” Link laughed, “Of course…”

Rhett saw right through him. “Oh my gosh, you didn’t know that?” he said laughing.

“I did!” Link protested unconvincingly. 

“Aww Link,” Rhett laughed as he wrapped his arm around Link’s shoulders and shook him playfully. 

They got their tickets and Link treated them to popcorn (since Rhett’s wallet was empty and he couldn’t remember his ATM PIN) and found their seats in the theatre. Rhett had hoped there would be more people around but he knew there wouldn’t. The movie had already been out for over a month… not to mention, he remembered the last time he’d done this.

Rhett had seen the movie multiple times in the intervening years without incident, but he was nervous about this particular viewing. The first time they saw this movie together they’d spent most of the second half making out in the back row and he couldn’t let that happen this time. He intentionally led Link to seats closer to the front where he was sure people would sit behind them. Fortunately Link didn’t find that odd.

Rhett was so nervous he accidentally ate all his popcorn before the previews were finished and couldn’t stop fidgeting. “Is this movie scary?” Link said, misunderstanding Rhett’s nervous energy. 

“Oh, no. Not really,” Rhett said. He tried to pull himself together. “I just haven’t seen it in a while. I’m excited.”

As it turned out, Rhett still enjoyed the movie. Having Link experience it for the first time was almost like seeing it for the first time himself. He stole a glance at Link when Rose stepped up on the railings and spread her arms. Link was smiling, wide-eyed at the scene, his hand resting in his empty popcorn bucket. Rhett felt the tightness in his chest release - he loved seeing Link so happy, and this version seemed particularly care-free.

After the first two hours Rhett started to calm down and just enjoy the movie. He shuffled down his chair a little and habitually spread his arms over the backs of the seats. Maybe parts of it were a little girly, but it was still good. 

Rhett froze when Link shuffled closer and leaned his head against Rhett’s shoulder. He had a brief moment of panic that the people behind them would recognise them but of course, that wasn’t a problem in 1998. Rhett nudged him a little so he could put his arms down. “Sorry,” he muttered, “twinge in my shoulder.”

“S’okay,” Link mumbled casually, not moving so their arms were still touching. Without saying anything else, Link took Rhett’s hand and laced their fingers together.

Though it might have been a natural move for him with _his_ Rhett, Link was bound to know he was pushing his luck. Rhett had explicitly told him to back off only hours earlier.

Rhett didn’t pull his hand away, though he knew he should. Truth be told, he didn’t mind holding Link’s hand, even in 2019. It was just a nice little physical, ‘no strings’ reminder of their closeness and their years of friendship. He knew the implications, but it might bring Link a little comfort right now and it wasn’t hurting anyone.

“I want to kiss you,” Link whispered up at him.

Rhett leaned away and sighed. “You can’t. I already told you.”

“You’ve been treating me so weird lately,” Link whispered angrily, “even before the whole time travel thing.”

“Well I’m sorry Link but that wasn’t me, it was your Rhett,” Rhett said quietly.

“I haven’t done anything wrong, I don’t know why you’re being like this,” Link said, speaking a little too loud for Rhett’s liking. 

“Quiet Link,” he whispered back. “I don’t know what to tell you! I can’t remember every little fight we’ve ever had.”

It was true; they fought all the time and there was usually nothing remarkable about it. This time however, Rhett had a feeling he knew what was going on. This was around the time he’d planned on telling Link just how strongly he felt about him. He’d written letters he’d never delivered. He’d played out every scenario in his head… and he was terrified.

Link let it drop and watched the rest of the movie without speaking. Rhett couldn’t help feeling relieved that he’d changed the events of the day, even though he was slightly worried about the implications for Link’s future.

-o-o-

“I just don’t see why Jack had to die,” Link was still complaining as they returned to their dorm. “Even if he didn’t fit on that piece of wood with Rose there was bound to be other stuff floating around them.”

“I know buddy, I know,” Rhett laughed. 

“It was still a good movie,” Link added. “I just wish it didn’t have such a sad ending.” He gave Rhett a quizzical look. “Why do you keep touching your pocket like that? You’ve been doing it all day.”

Rhett chuckled to himself. He always liked to think he was above the whole ‘phone addiction’ thing, but since he’d arrived in this time, he’d reached for his phone almost once every ten minutes. “I keep feeling for my phone,” he said with a shrug.

“Like a cell phone?” Link said, confused.

Rhett sat down on the edge of his bed, considering what he should or shouldn’t tell Link. “Yeah, a cell phone. Though it does more than make phone calls. You can use it for sending messages to people too.”

“Huh, alright,” Link said, sounding much less impressed than Rhett had expected. “I should go to sleep, I have a 9am class on Fridays.” Rhett couldn’t help staring as Link pulled off his shirt and started changing into his pajamas. “What are you going to do tomorrow? You skipping your classes?”

“I guess so… I have already taken them,” Rhett replied, still not taking his eyes off Link’s young, lithe body.

“You want to borrow some money in case you wanna go out?” Link suggested, pulling on his pajama pants.

“Actually yeah, that would be great. Thanks Link.” Rhett decided he should follow Link’s example and go to bed too. He stripped off his shirt and changed into the bottoms he found stuffed between the wall and the mattress. 

It was weird getting into the bed he’d slept in in college, and more comfortable than he remembered (either that or a younger body with fewer aches and pains). He and Link didn’t share a room much anymore, but Link’s reassuring presence and the steady rhythm of his breathing was enough to put Rhett right to sleep.

Rhett slept peacefully until the sound of a door falling shut woke him up. It took a moment for him to re-orientate himself and remember where he was. He was instantly aware of Link’s absence and realised he must have gone to the bathroom down the hall. He didn’t miss the years of shared bathrooms, shared showers and creeping through hallways with your bathroom supplies in a bag. It hadn’t felt like an inconvenience at the time though.

He didn’t move, just lay silently enjoying the comfort of the bed, until Link returned a few minutes later. Rhett just pretended he was asleep, not wanting to start a conversation in the middle of the night. He waited for the sound of Link getting back into bed, but it never came. He must have been standing in the middle of the room; Rhett could practically feel Link’s eyes on him. He didn’t dare move in case he broke the silence and concentrated on keeping his breathing steady. The silence seemed to drag on forever, but eventually Rhett could hear Link’s quiet footsteps on the carpet. His heart quickened when he realised the footsteps were moving towards his bed, not Links.

“Rhett?” came Link’s voice, barely audible even in the quiet room.

Rhett didn’t answer, trying to keep up the facade of sleep. 

The next thing he knew, Link was lifting the covers and climbing into the twin bed behind him. Link seemed to fit perfectly against the curve of Rhett’s back as he laid down on his side, matching Rhett’s position. Rhett felt Link’s arm creeping around his side as he settled a hand at Rhett’s stomach.

Rhett needed to get rid of him. He knew he did. _Just a couple of minutes_ , he promised himself. There was something so undeniably calming about just being with someone else, matching their breathing, feeling their heart beat… at least that’s what he told himself. 

The minutes dragged on and he could tell Link was falling asleep. He really needed to say something. Instead he placed his hand on top of Link’s and held him close. Link responded by hugging Rhett tightly against his chest and pressing a line of light kisses along his shoulder. Rhett sighed out a contented “mmm”, giving up the pretence of sleep. 

“Hey,” Link whispered in his ear, “should I go?”

“Yeah,” Rhett whispered back, “but don’t.”

Link made a quiet breathy sound that might have been a laugh before spreading his palm and properly exploring the expanse of Rhett’s chest. He toyed briefly with the light smattering of chest hair before gripping Rhett’s pec and running his thumb over the nipple.

Rhett responded by moving his hand back to grip Link’s leg behind the knee and pull it around his own. Link ground his pelvis against Rhett’s butt, drawing a gentle moan from both of them.

Rhett’s mind was spinning. He was so overcome with desire and lust that he wanted nothing more than to flip Link over and have his way with him. This wasn’t what he had in mind when he’d decided to keep his hands to himself. He rolled himself onto his back and pulled Link on top of him. Link let out a surprised squeal. 

In the darkness Rhett could just make out the unmistakable shape of Link. He hadn’t looked at Link like this in such a long time - really looked. He was so beautiful and youthful like this. He felt a pang of regret for the last 20 years that he’d wasted not studying every inch of him. 

“What?” said Link, laughing slightly. Something about Rhett’s scrutiny stopped him pressing forward. 

“Just taking everything in,” Rhett said truthfully. He hooked a hand around the back of Link’s neck and pulled him down until their lips were almost touching. “I haven’t kissed you in a really long time,” he breathed.

“I kissed you yesterday,” Link muttered. Rhett could practically taste his breath. 

Rhett felt his chest tighten. This used to be so normal for them and it was their own stupid fault that it had ever changed. Before he could talk himself out of it, he tilted his head and closed the gap between them. Suddenly it was like the last 20 years had never happened. He’d experienced nostalgia and familiarity when he returned to the dorm for the first time, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of Link’s lips on his own. He gripped Link’s hair and kissed him hungrily, clawing at the back of Link’s shirt with his free hand. 

In contrast to Rhett, Link’s movements were calm and slow, like they had all the time in the world. He cupped Rhett’s scruffy cheek with one hand and turned his head to improve the angle, humming happily.

 _This is as far as it goes_ , he told himself, knowing that in that moment he would probably do whatever Link wanted. Feeling brave, he reached down and grabbed Link’s ass with both hands. He pulled Link towards himself, pressing their crotches together and trying to ignore the fact they were both hard. 

Rhett knew how this day ended the last time. It may have started differently but if he wasn’t careful it could end the exact same way. 

“Link, I’m sorry but we have to stop,” he whispered against Link’s lips.

Link sighed softly. “I know, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come over,” he whispered back. “I just wanted to be close to you.” 

“I know,” Rhett said sadly. He knew the feeling. 20 years ago _he’d_ been the one creeping into the other guy’s bed. 

Link rolled off Rhett and slipped out of the bed. Rhett lay motionless on his back and listened to Link’s footsteps crossing the room. He was briefly worried he was changing this version of Link’s future - the night they’d had sex had profoundly affected them both and they were stronger because of it. On the other hand, knowing the two of them it would probably still happen.

“Goodnight Rhett,” Link said from across the room.

Rhett felt like his whole body was aching from the loss of contact with Link. He toyed with the idea of asking Link to just sleep in his bed but didn’t trust himself. “Sleep well buddy.”


	8. Chapter 8

Link hadn't slept well. He’d been awake most of the night worrying. Yesterday he hadn’t allowed himself to even entertain the thought that Rhett might never get his memory back. As soon as he closed his eyes however, he could think of nothing else. What would happen to him and his family? What would happen to their company? Would Link have to rethink his whole future?

When he finally did get to sleep, his dreams were weird and vivid. He awoke the next morning feeling like he’d barely slept at all.

He managed to pull himself out of bed and wasn’t surprised to find Rhett’s bed already empty. Rhett had always been an early riser, even when they were kids. Link made his way down the hallway to the bathroom, pausing on the landing at the sound of Rhett and Jessie laughing downstairs. He quickly used the bathroom and made his way downstairs to find them sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast. Rhett was play-acting a trucker at a diner. Jessie laughed as she played along.

“I’m sorry sir, ‘plain old coffee’ just isn’t popular any more. Why don’t you try this vanilla latte?” she said, giggling.

“Hmm, what’s it like?” he said skeptically. He was emphasising his already stronger-than-usual accent.

“It’s good! Smooth and sweet. It tastes great.”

“Is that so?” Rhett said, stroking his beard, “sounds like someone I met recently.”

“Alright mister, just drink your coffee,” she laughed before turning to greet Link.

“Mornin’,” Link said, grinning at the scene he’d just witnessed.

“There’s coffee in the pot,” Jessie said, looking a little embarrassed, “or I can make you something else if you want. Vanilla latte?” she said, winking at Rhett.

It almost felt like having  _ his  _ Rhett back. “Regular coffee’s fine,” Link said, getting himself a cup. “How are you feeling Rhett?”

Rhett shrugged. “I still feel fine but I haven’t got my memory back or whatever… It still takes me by surprise when I see you looking like that,” he added.

“Heh, me too,” Link scoffed as he joined them at the table.

“So Link,” Jessie said, he tone more serious. “Rhett tells me you two are going to find an inventor today.”

Link cringed at her slightly patronizing tone. “Well I um… kinda promised if the doctor couldn’t find anything physical wrong with him, we could maybe look into the whole… time travel thing.”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “Come on Link, you’re grown men!”

“Maybe he is,” Rhett interjected, falling silent at Link’s dirty look.

“What harm can it do?” Link said, already feeling like he was losing the battle.

“You could be feeding a delusion,” she said quietly, as though he hoped Rhett wouldn’t hear.

“I don’t think…” he paused, not sure if he should go on. Jessie already seemed to think he was crazy, he didn’t want to add any fuel to that fire. “I don’t think it’ll do him any good sitting around here all day,” he said instead.

“Ugh. Whatever,” she said. “You’ll just do it anyway. And you,” she said, turning to Rhett,” how about some pancakes to go with that coffee?”

Rhett grinned,” Well that’d be real nice ma’am.”

-o-o-

You like Jessie then,” Link said when they were alone in the car. He’d convinced Rhett they should at least wait until after 10am to go bother some stranger.

“She’s alright,” Rhett shrugged. “Kinda old for me.”

Link laughed at that. “She’s younger than you! And she was a lot younger than that when you first met.”

“Hm,” Rhett grunted.

Link decided not to force the issue. “There’s something I need to tell you that I didn’t want to say in front of Jessie,” he said quickly, before he could change his mind.

“Oh? What is it?” Rhett said with a hopefulness that broke Link’s heart a little.

“I think I have, like, new memories?” he said uncertainly. “Like… I’m remembering this happening in college. Things that never happened…”

“Oh my gosh, are you serious?” Rhett said, becoming suddenly more animated. “Like your Rhett is changing the past?”

Link hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “Not exactly. I still have the same memories as before, but now these new parallel memories are there too.”

“Like what?”

“Well for one thing I remember one day you came in acting all weird and goofy and told me you were from the future,” Link said, struggling to describe it, “but I also remember you going to class and me having the place to myself all afternoon. And I remember ordering pizza from Mario’s Pizza, but I couldn’t find the menu and accidentally ordered from the gross one… but I also remember finding the menu in your desk.”

“Rhett nodded, taking it all in. “I don’t know much about time travel in real life, but I guess that’s plausible,” he said, still restless. “So you believe me?”

Link sighed in defeat. “I guess I do, yeah.”

“Good,” Rhett said, sitting back in his seat. “Why do you remember that day so clearly anyway. Was there something special about it?”

Link was really starting to miss his own Rhett. He’d forgotten how many questions he asked as a kid. “Must have been,” he said noncommittally.

“If you remember it so clearly, something important must have happened,” Rhett pushed.

“I don’t know man, it just stuck in my head.”

“Is it because it was the first time we slept together?” Rhett asked hopefully.

“Rhett!”

“What?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“So yes,” Rhett said triumphantly. 

“Well it won’t happen now anyway. Not when you’re here,” Link said, sounding more cruel than he intended. “You were the one that got into bed with  _ me  _ if you can believe it.”

“Of course I can,” Rhett said, confused.

“Can we talk about something else please?” Link said, staring straight ahead.

“Fine…” said Rhett, turning back to look out the front windscreen. “Do I style my hair like this  _ every day _ ?”

Link had hoped he’d be able to slip in and out of the office without being spotted, but almost as soon as his car pulled into the parking lot, Stevie ran out to meet them. She ripped open Rhett’s door and hugged him in his seat.

“Rhett! Thank you for not dying. We were all so worried,” she said into his shoulder.

Link moved to the other side of the car to try and pull her off. “Okay Stevie, leave him be,” he said, taking her arm and guiding her away from Rhett, “his memory still hasn’t returned.”

“I don’t have memory loss,” a slightly shell-shocked Rhett grumbled from the car. 

“Quiet you,” Link said, and closed the door in Rhett’s face. “Do you have the time machine?”

Stevie nodded and motioned for him to follow her inside. “It’s still on the set. Link, what are you hoping to achieve here?”

“I just want to talk to the guy who sold it,” Link said innocently.

“What are you going to do to him,” Stevie said sounding worried.

“I’m going to kill him,” Link said dryly. Stevie rolled her eyes. “What do you think I’m going to do to him? I’m going to ask him how that piece of crap almost killed my friend.”

“Link…” Stevie started.

“Maybe we can get a good video out of it,” he suggested. 

“Do you want me to get a crew together?” Stevie said, confused.

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry,” Link said. “What about the schedule? Will we be okay for a few days?”

Stevie rolled her eyes at the change of subject. “Yeah, we’ve enough in the can to keep on schedule for a couple of weeks, but there’ll be a lot of work to cram in when Rhett’s ready to work again.”

Link nodded. “Just keep me in the loop, okay? Get someone to email me the details.”

“Of course.”

They retrieved the machine from the set and carried it carefully back to Link’s car. “Thanks for this Stevie. Please don’t mention this to anyone else, just in case it doesn’t work out.”

“What do you mean if it doesn’t work out?” Stevie said with an air of urgency.

“Yeah, what’s that supposed to mean?” Rhett interjected through the car window.

“You know what I mean. It might be… boring,” Link said, getting flustered.

“Sure,” Stevie said, skeptically. Link gave her a quick one-armed hug and went to get into the car. “Aren’t you going to bring a camera?” 

Link hesitated. “I’ll just use my phone,” he said dismissively.

“Uh huh…”

They were soon on their way with the time machine and a handheld camera in the back seat. “Why didn’t you tell that woman the truth?”

“Stevie,” Link said. “For one thing, she wouldn’t believe me. I don’t want her to think we’re both mentally unstable!”

“Who is she again?” Rhett asked.

“She does a lot of things,” Link replied. “She’s the executive producer of our show.” 

“Huh, cool,” Rhett muttered.

“You always sound so unimpressed when I tell you stuff like that,” Link observed.

Rhett opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. He looked at Link appraisingly. “Well, all this might not happen to me,” he said after a pause.

“Why wouldn’t it?” Link said, confused. 

“Well what if my Link and I make difference choices that lead us somewhere else?” he said. 

Link’s chest tightened. He had a feeling he knew what Rhett was getting at. “Why would you do that? We’re living our dream right now. What else is there?”

“Man, am I as cynical as you in this time?” Rhett said, making Link regret his choice of words.

“Hey, don’t you talk to me like that,” Link snapped. “What is it exactly you think we’re missing out on? We have love, security, creativity, family…” 

“Each other?” Rhett said petulantly.

“We have that too!”

“You know what I mean,” Rhett replied.

Link swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. “I’m telling you Rhett, you don’t care about that any more. You have everything you ever wanted.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true.”

“Will you at least tell me what happened? Maybe I can avoid making the same mistakes again,” Rhett said desperately. 

Link shook his head. “Let’s talk about this later, when I’m not driving,” he suggested, secretly hoping everything would be resolved by ‘later’. “We’ve spent almost 20 avoiding the subject. I’d like to be able to concentrate.” 

“Okay, fine,” Rhett agreed. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“Here,” Link said, handing Rhett his phone and hoping to change the subject. “There’s a text message from Stevie with this guy’s address. Type it into the car’s GPS before I get off the freeway.”

Rhett had taken to smart phones surprisingly well. He held the phone up to Link’s face to unlock the screen and tapped at it until he found the address. Link helped him find the search bar and typed in the address. They were only about 20 minutes away.

“Who’s Christy?” Rhett asked slowly, handing back Link’s phone. 

“Christy’s my wife,” Link replied.

“Oh. Right…” Rhett replied, the disappointment extremely evident in his voice.

“Uh huh,” Link said, rolling his eyes. “And that’s why I’m keeping you away from her until we get you back to normal.”

“You don’t have to protect me you know,” Rhett said.

“I’m not protecting you. I’m protecting my Rhett,” Link said, checking his mirrors to change lanes. “Plenty of people already think we’re hiding a romantic relationship, we don’t need you telling them they’re right.”

They sat in an unusually awkward silence as the town turned to suburbs and they approached the guy’s address. No one could remember his name and it wasn’t written down anywhere, so they just had to hope when they arrived at his house the person who answered the door would know what they were talking about.

“I think this is it,” Link said, pulling up to a strikingly normal looking house. He had Rhett check the address again and when they were satisfied they were in the right place he parked and shut off the engine. “Okay… here we go,” Link said nervously.

Rhett was grinning as he got out of the car. “I’m glad we’re still doing stuff like this,” he said happily.

Link gave a small laugh. “Yeah, me too.”

They approached the front door of the house and Link rang the doorbell. They could hear a dog barking faintly from inside the house and a few seconds later, a man answered the door. He looked at them both and smiled politely. “Hello, what can I do for you?”

Link cleared his throat. “Uh, this might be a weird question, but did you recently sell a broken time machine on Craigslist.” 

The guy looked a little confused, but laughed. “Yeah, I did… how do you know that?”

“You sold it to some friends of ours,” Link said. “Did you build it yourself?”

The guy didn’t say anything for a moment like he was trying to decide what to tell them. “No,” he said eventually, “It kind of… came with the house.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rhett asked, sounding oddly intimidating. He wasn’t always so desperate to seem approachable. 

The guy looked up at him in surprise. “I mean the lady who lived here before me didn’t take it with her when she moved. She told me to keep it! When I said I didn’t want it she said it was more trouble than it was worth and to just get rid of it.”

“So you sold it on Craigslist?” Link asked.

“Actually I kept it,” the guy shrugged. “I’ve had it for about five years under my glass coffee table. It was quite the conversation starter.”

“But you sold it?” Rhett said.

“I got a new coffee table,” he shrugged. “I kinda listed it as a joke. Isn’t that why your friend bought it?” 

“Sort of,” Link said. “Do you know where we can find the woman who used to live here? We’d like to speak to her.”

“Why?” the guy asked.

“We think the time machine works,” Rhett said.

“Rhett!” Link said, swatting at his arm.

“Wait… are you guys from like, the government?” the guy whispered. 

Link rolled his eyes and said “yes” with all the sarcasm he could muster. “Look uh…”

“Ryan,” the guy supplied.

“Ryan. I know this isn’t really your problem,” Link said calmly, “but my friend Rhett here was seriously injured by that machine. He spent the last two days in the hospital getting brain scans. We’d really like to talk to the person who built the thing.”

Ryan nodded seriously. “All I have is her number, and it’s 5 years old at this point, but I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you,” Link said, relieved.

Ryan went inside to find the number while Rhett and Link waited on the porch. “I think he believed me,” Rhett said when Ryan was out of earshot.

“No he didn’t,” Link said bluntly.

“But he said-”

“He was joking with you,” Link said, though he didn’t really believe it.

Ryan returned after a couple of minutes with the woman’s details on a small piece of paper. “She was a little weird, I don’t know if she’ll want to talk to you, but this is her number.”

“Thanks for your help Ryan,” Link said, shaking his hand. “Sorry to bother you.”

“No problem,” he said. He waved as they got back into the car and went back inside. 

“So what now?” Rhett said, almost bouncing in his seat. 

“I guess I’m going to call this lady and see if she’ll meet us,” Link said, staring at the number.

Rhett handed Link his phone and he dialled the number. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me [on Tumblr](https://mythical-ross.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

The phone rang a few times before someone answered. “Hello?” said a female voice.

“Hi,” Link said, suddenly realising he hadn’t planned what he was going to say. “Is this Eleanor Read?”

“That’s me,” a friendly voice replied.

“Hi Eleanor. This uh… this might sound weird. I have a time machine and I was wondering if you were the person who built it.”

There was a pause. 

“Sorry, who is this?” she asked.

“Oh uh, my name’s Link. I bought the machine a couple days ago from a guy named Ryan. He gave me your number,” Link explained, trying his hardest to sound friendly. 

“I see,” she said carefully. “And what can I do for you Link?”

Link gave Rhett a small nod to indicate they had the right person. “Well, I don’t know how to tell you this, but my friend Rhett and I fixed it.”

Eleanor paused again.

“Rhett and Link… like the YouTubers?”

“Actually yeah,” Link said, unsure if that was a good or bad sign, “you know us?”

“A little,” she said, starting to sound uncomfortable, “are you making a YouTube video about this?” 

“Well, that’s actually how this whole thing started,” Link said quickly, not wanting to scare her off, “but that’s out the window now. We have a bit of a problem, and we were hoping you could help. Is there any chance you could you meet with us?”

She hesitated again, seeming to debate the matter on her end of the line. “I don’t know, Link. You seem like a nice guy, but I don’t want to be made fun of.” 

“We used it,” Link said suddenly. He was getting more and more nervous. They needed this woman on their side.

“You did?” she asked quietly. 

“Here, I think you should talk to Rhett.” Link thrust the phone at Rhett who just looked at him, confused. 

“Just tell her what happened to you,” he said gently.

Rhett took the phone and held it to his ear. 

“Hi Eleanor,” he said. “This probably sounds crazy, but two days ago I was on my way to class at NC State in the year 1998 and the next thing I knew, it was 2019 and I was waking up on the floor of a TV studio with a bunch of strangers crowded around me.”

His voice shook a little as he told the story, and Link realized it hadn’t occurred to him just how frightening the experience must have been for Rhett - especially 20-year-old Rhett. 

He instinctively reached over and gave Rhett’s thigh a reassuring pat.

“Yeah,” Rhett said in response to something Link couldn’t hear, “well, that’s kinda what we wanted to talk to you about.” 

He smiled at Link. 

“Thank you,” he said after another pause and handed the phone back.

“That’s quite a story,” Eleanor said to Link.

“I know,” Link grinned. “So you’ll help us?”

“I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do for you, but we can start by talking,” she said. 

They arranged to meet the next day at a restaurant in Burbank. She insisted they meet on neutral ground, possibly still convinced they would bring a camera crew. Link was eager to meet with her today - 24 hours was a lot of time for her to change her mind - but perhaps it would give her time to think over the problem. 

“So,” Link said as he stuffed his phone back in his pocket, “I guess we have the rest of the day to ourselves.”

“Cool,” Rhett said. “What should we do?”

“Is there anything you’d like to do? I guess this is your first time in LA,” Link said, starting the car.

Rhett thought for a second. “Could we go see the Hollywood sign?”

Link didn’t answer right away. He thought back to his and Rhett’s first visit to LA. 

“Actually, you know, maybe we should just go home. When we first got here, saw the Hollywood sign… it was kind of a special moment. I don’t want to mess with that.”

“Ooh, was it?” Rhett said suggestively.

“Not like that,” Link said, rolling his eyes. He didn’t remember Rhett always being so horny when they were actually in college. 

“How about we go for lunch and see a movie?” That should keep them both out of trouble.

“Okay,” Rhett conceded, sounding just a little disappointed. “Could we go to Blockbuster and rent Titanic? Since I didn’t get to see it.”

Link couldn’t help laughing. “We could if Blockbuster still existed!”

“No more Blockbuster?” Rhett said dramatically, making Link laugh even harder.

“No, no more Blockbuster,” Link said, patting Rhett gently on the shoulder. “But don’t worry, we can still watch Titanic if you want.”

Link took Rhett to his favourite Mexican restaurant for lunch, purposely choosing a secluded corner booth, and pointed out some options on the menu. 

“That’s what you usually order,” he said, “and this is what you order when you’re trying to look cool.”

Rhett took his future self’s recommendation and ordered three bean chilli with cheese fries. “Thanks… Jill,” he said, leering at the college-age waitress’s name badge. “Hope you’re having a good day.”

Link laughed nervously. “Thanks,” Link said, silently giving her permission to escape. 

“Damnit Rhett,” he whispered, after Jill had quickly taken her opening to leave, “remember you’re 41 as far as anyone knows. You can’t flirt with kids! In fact, just don’t flirt with anyone.”

“That wasn’t flirting,” Rhett said, placing his hand on his chest in mock-offence. “I was just being polite.”

“Sure you were,” Link said sarcastically. 

“So… Can we have that talk now?” Rhett asked.

Link sighed. They may as well get it over with. It would probably be cathartic for Link too - he and Rhett had never really talked about what happened between them. It just kind of… stopped happening. 

“Okay, fine. What do you want to know?”

Rhett looked nervous, but he had a small smile. “How far did it go?” he asked first.

Link laughed humorlessly. Rhett wasn’t beating around the bush. “Physically? About as far as things can go,” Link said with a shrug. “We only had sex once, though.” Link could already feel his throat tightening.

Rhett nodded solemnly. “And emotionally?” 

“Now that’s a harder question,” Link said and took a moment to think. So much time had passed, and he’d tried so hard to repress his feelings that he didn’t know if he could put it into words. Plus, he couldn’t speak for Rhett. 

“I think it was different for both of us,” he said eventually.

“What was it like for you, then?” Rhett pushed. 

Without thinking, Link whispered, “I was all in.” 

He could feel himself welling up and looked at the ceiling to try and force down the tears. He was too embarrassed to see the look on Rhett’s face.

Link could hear Rhett moving in his seat and fiddling with the cutlery on the table, but he wasn’t talking. He didn’t know what Rhett was expecting to hear, but somehow Link’s admission had rendered him speechless. The silence seemed to stretch on forever until Link couldn’t handle it any more and finally looked at Rhett. To his surprise, Rhett had tears in his eyes, but he was smiling.

“What?” Link asked as their eyes met.

“I’m all in, too,” Rhett said quietly. 

Link shook his head sadly. He didn’t mean that. He _couldn’t_ mean that. Rhett had never been as heavily invested as Link was. 

“No, you’re not,” Link said.

“Huh?”

“It was all me, man. You were just along for the ride. You didn’t feel the same way,” he said, putting words in Rhett’s mouth.

“Didn’t I give you the letter?” Rhett said, starting to sound desperate.

Link tried to remember a letter that was relevant to the conversation. They wrote each other letters and notes all the time but he had no idea what exactly Rhett was referring to. 

“What letter?” 

“The one… the one where I told you how I feel,” Rhett said. 

“I guess not,” Link said. Rhett’s question was triggering one of Link’s new memories. An envelope with his name on it in Rhett’s desk?

Rhett reached out and put his hand on top of Link’s, making him suddenly hyper-aware that they were having such a personal, private conversation in one of their known haunts. 

“I thought it was all _me_ ,” Rhett said, smiling again. “I wrote you a letter and I was so scared to give it to you…”

Link swallowed hard. He didn’t need to hear this now. Twenty years ago it might have made a difference but now… now it was just painful. 

At that moment, Jill returned with their drinks and glanced down at their linked hands in the middle of the table. 

“Oh, um…,” she said quietly, visibly flustered. 

“Uh, sorry,” Link said, separating their hands and giving her space to put down the glasses. 

He could feel Rhett’s eyes boring into him. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” she muttered, before fleeing across the restaurant. 

“Rhett, this is… hard to hear,” he said when they were alone again. 

Rhett didn’t seem to share in his moment of crisis, though. He was practically giddy. “Sorry,” he said, “I’ve been worrying about it a lot lately, but hearing how you feel… this is actually a huge relief for me.”

Link felt anything but relieved. His mind was racing -- he thought he’d put all this behind him. All these years he’d convinced himself Rhett hadn’t been that serious about their relationship and he just needed to get over it. As far as he was concerned, he and Rhett having a public romantic relationship was just a pipe dream. Now, he knew if they'd just been brave and talked about it, things could have been so different.

“So uh…,” Rhett started, pulling Link back into the present. “How did it end?” 

Link wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to wrap his mind around the new, life-changing information screaming in his brain. “It just sort of… fizzled out,” he shrugged. “I can’t really put a time-stamp on it. Apparently neither of us were willing to really talk through our feelings and we just…” 

The words got caught in his throat. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head. 

“You haven’t done anything to me,” Rhett said reassuringly, “in fact, you’ve done me a favour.”

“I’m not talking to you,” Link said, now openly sobbing. “I’m talking to _my_ Rhett. I’m talking to myself. If I’d have known back then…” 

Link couldn’t finish his sentence.

Rhett stood up and moved to the other side of the table so that they were sitting side by side. He put his hand on Link’s leg and leaned in close. “I’m really sorry for making you talk about this,” he said softly. “I honestly didn’t think you felt so strongly. You’ve spent the last two days telling me how happy you are.”

Link took a couple of deep breaths to help him calm down. He looked at Rhett and tried to focus on their current relationship. “You’re right. I _am_ happy - happier than I ever thought I’d be. I guess I never really mourned the relationship… and I spent a lot of time trying not to think about it.”

When Rhett didn’t respond Link took a sip of his Coke and sighed. “Why didn’t we ever tell anyone?” He asked, turning the questions on Rhett.

“I don’t know,” Rhett said. “I guess it happened so gradually, it didn’t feel like there was anything to tell.”

Link nodded. When they crossed the line from touching to heavy petting to kissing, he wanted to tell someone, but they’d both had girlfriends at the time and it was put on the back burner.

“If I go back and tell my Link how I feel, will it change things for you?” Rhett asked.

Link thought for a moment. He couldn’t possibly know the answer to that, but it was an interesting prospect. Would he _want_ anything to change? 

Was it too late to have everything he’d ever wanted with Rhett?

-o-o-

They ate their meals in an unusually awkward silence, Rhett occasionally asking a question about modern life that Link was happy to field. Link was relieved when it was time to pay and leave the restaurant. 

They drove back to Rhett’s house and found it empty, Jessie having gone to spend the day with the kids. Rhett sat down on the couch while Link tried to find a copy of the movie. As it turned out, Rhett didn’t have it on DVD, and it wasn’t on Netflix, so Link decided to rent it from YouTube. 

He sat down on the couch beside Rhett and tapped at his phone a few times, getting the movie ready and connecting to Rhett’s Chromecast. 

“What are you doing?” Rhett asked, looking curiously at Link’s phone. 

“Playing the movie, look,” Link said, and pointed at the TV. 

As the Twentieth Century Fox logo appeared on screen Rhett looked between the TV and Link’s phone and muttered “cool…”

“Heh, yeah,” Link grinned. He left his phone on the arm of the couch and got to his feet. “I’ll go see if you have any popcorn.”

Link went to Rhett’s kitchen and opened a couple of the cabinets, trying to find where the snacks were kept. He came across a box of popcorn and put a bag in the microwave. As the popcorn started to heat up, he took a moment to lean against the counter. It was the first time he’d been alone since he and Rhett had had their talk at lunch. 

The conversation played on a constant loop in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about those four words Rhett had said: _I’m all in, too_. 

Things were different back then. The thirteen-by-ten-foot dorm room they shared was like their own little world -- a world where making out on the couch while a movie played in the background or spooning in their too-small twin beds was easy and comfortable and almost second-nature. 

Friends and girlfriends and even family members came and went, but at the end of the day, Rhett and Link always came home to each other. If he was being honest with himself, a part of Link had believed that would never end.

Link hadn’t thought much about their time together in recent years, but now even the sound of the popping kernels reminded him of their weekly movie nights in the dorm.

When the popcorn was ready, he lifted the bag carefully by the corners and poured it into a bowl before returning to the living room where Rhett was already leaning enthusiastically towards the screen. “The good bit hasn’t even started,” Link said as he joined him on the sofa and handed him the bowl. 

Rhett just smiled and grabbed a handful. He’d never admit it out loud, but Link knew Rhett really loved _Titanic_. 

Link dipped his hand into the bowl without looking and accidentally knocked into Rhett’s hand. He flinched at the sudden contact, bumping some popcorn into Rhett’s lap and managing to almost choke on his spit in the process. 

He grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved it into his mouth to try to discharge the tension in the air and prayed Rhett didn’t see through him. 

Before any of this happened, accidental contact was par for the course and now here Link was, worrying that every little touch might be misinterpreted. 

He tried to concentrate on the comfortable relationship he and Rhett usually had. How easy it was for them to climb, practically naked, into the same metal bathtub. Or how casually they would strip off their clothes in a shared dressing room. They were about as close as two completely platonic people could be.

He glanced over at Rhett’s face. He had a small smile on his lips as he sat otherwise motionless watching the movie. Link tried to imagine what it would be like to have an intimate relationship with an adult Rhett.

As though sensing Link’s scrutiny, Rhett turned to meet Link’s gaze. 

“Hey,” he grinned.

“Hey,” Link replied, a little embarrassed at being caught. Without thinking, he shuffled closer to Rhett and closed the gap between them before settling his head on Rhett’s shoulder.

Rhett wrapped an arm around Link’s shoulders and pulled him close. Of course, this would feel perfectly normal for this version of Rhett. Link allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of Rhett’s body against his own. He always made Link feel so small. Rhett was radiating heat and Link thought, perhaps, he could stay like this for hours.

“I thought you didn’t do this kind of thing any more,” Rhett said after a while.

Link hesitated. “We don’t,” he said guiltily. “I was just trying something out.” 

Rhett gave a little laugh through his nose. “That’s okay,” he said. “I’m glad.”

“You know, it was years before I saw the ending of Titanic,” he said. He was pushing his luck now and he knew it, but something about being so close to Rhett - his warmth and his smell - was suppressing Link’s common sense.

“Oh? Why’s that?” Rhett said without looking away from the screen.

“Because the first time we saw it, we spent most of the second half groping each other in the back row.” Link looked up at Rhett. He wasn’t speaking but Link could tell he was trying not to smile.

“Is that so?” Rhett said a few moments later.

“Yeah,” Link said, turning his attention back to the TV. “It’s a shame you missed out on that experience.” He was going too far; goading Rhett into crossing the line wasn’t any better than making a move himself. And he was practically a kid! What would _his_ Rhett think of him right now?

Rhett shifted slightly in his seat, loosening the arm around Link. Without speaking, he set the bowl of popcorn on the end table and uncrossed his legs. 

It was as clear a signal as Link needed. Before he could talk himself out of it, he clambered on top of Rhett, straddling his legs, and took his face in both hands. Rhett was always so weird about letting Link touch his beard so he made the most of it while he could, running his fingers through the un-trimmed length. When Rhett’s hands moved to his waist, Link hooked a hand around the back of Rhett’s head and smashed their lips together. 

_It’s not the same for him_ , Link kept telling himself, _it’s not really Rhett_. However, physically, it was everything Link didn’t realize he needed. Rhett moved one hand to Link’s back and kissed along his jaw and down his neck, stopping to nibble gently at his clavicle. 

“Mm, Rhett,” Link moaned, lacing his fingers through Rhett’s hair and pulling him closer. The feeling of Rhett’s beard against his neck was irresistible.

The next thing Link knew, Rhett’s hands were on his ass, squeezing gently. Link used the handful of hair to pull Rhett back up and kiss his lips again. Rhett opened his mouth wider, gradually, like he was trying to taste as much of Link as he could. Their lips seemed to move in perfect harmony, like so many other things in their life.

Rhett used his grip on Link’s butt to pull him close enough that their crotches were touching. Link let out a small gasp but didn’t break contact with Rhett’s lips. He ran a hand down Rhett’s side and tugged his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans. Only hours earlier he’d helped Rhett pick out that shirt when he’d been overwhelmed by his choice of clothes. He reached under Rhett’s shirt with both hands, spreading them over the bare skin and creeping to the back. 

Despite almost twenty years having passed, it didn’t feel weird to Link. It was like revisiting the town he grew up in and everything was exactly as he remembered it. 

Link circled his hips experimentally, grinding against Rhett’s crotch and Rhett hummed contentedly. “I’ve missed this,” Link mumbled, barely breaking contact.

“You never had to stop,” Rhett replied. Now, after twenty years of unspoken feelings were out in the open, Link knew just how true that was and he hated it.

Link pulled his hands out from under Rhett’s shirt and started to open the other man’s belt. 

Rhett suddenly broke the kiss and put his hand on top of Link’s, preventing him from opening the fly of his pants. “Link wait.”

“What?” Link said, frustrated by the interruption. 

“We can’t… you don’t want this,” Rhett said, looking down between them.

Link followed his glaze and huffed out a laugh. “I think it’s obvious I do,” he said indicating the bulge in his jeans.

“You know what I mean,” Rhett said. “You should wait and do it with _your_ Rhett.”

Link sighed, his hands still on the fly of Rhett’s jeans. “My Rhett won’t want to.”

Rhett shifted slightly, nudging Link off his lap. “You keep saying stuff like that, but you don’t know. You guys really need to talk about this kind of thing more.”

“We talk plenty,” Link said, settling back on the couch. “In fact, the reason we never talk about it now is because you two didn’t talk about it.” The logic was ridiculous and Link knew it, but then the whole situation was ridiculous.

“Well we’re gonna talk about it as soon as I get back,” Rhett said as he buckled his belt back up. 

“Ugh, forget it. Let’s just watch the movie,” Link said, sounding more petulant than he intended. He was supposed to be the adult!

“I didn’t want to stop… just so you know,” Rhett said quietly. 

Link didn’t say anything, just stared at the TV. Rhett was right to stop them going any further -- Link wasn’t thinking straight. Though, sometimes it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission. 

He couldn’t help wondering if adult Rhett would remember the day’s events. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 1998

The following morning neither Rhett nor Link talked about their midnight escapades. Fooling around was pretty much business as usual for Link, and Rhett had convinced himself he hadn’t done anything wrong. So what if he’d lay awake half the night with blue balls? There was a difference between _having_ a feeling and acting on it.

After Link went to class, Rhett spent the day lounging around the dorm and exploring the streets around the campus. He didn’t want to spend Link’s money, so he just visited some landmarks and did some window shopping. He did however, treat himself to a deep fried McDonald’s Apple Pie (gosh, he missed those).

By 3pm he was getting bored and eager for Link to return. He’d spent too much time alone with his thoughts and he wasn't exactly proud of some of them. In fact, he didn’t even recognise some of them. He had the weirdest feeling he was remembering things that had never happened.

“Oh hey, you’re here,” Link said as he entered the dorm. It was only 5 minutes after the end of his last class so he must have come straight home. “Did you stay here all day?”

Rhett was lounging on his bed flicking through their dorm’s ‘face book’. A literal book with pictures of everyone in the building - a lot of them he had completely forgotten. “I took a walk, had a look around… I didn’t remember coffee being so boring. What do I gotta do to get a Vanilla Latte around here?” 

“A what? Since when do you drink lattes?” Link laughed.

Rhett shrugged it off. “How was class?”

“Boring… but Phil Walker is having a party tonight and we’re invited,” Link said, throwing his book bag down on his desk. “I guess you probably don’t want to go to that.”

“Not really,” Rhett said almost immediately. He didn’t relish the thought of trying to socialise with people whose names he couldn’t remember, talking about whatever it was 20 year olds talked about. On the other hand, who, given the opportunity, _wouldn’t_ want to relive their college experience - plus, Link would probably want company. “Actually on second thoughts, maybe I should go,” he said.

“Really?” Link said, perking up slightly. “We can just go for a while and come right home if you hate it.”

“Thanks. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rhett said, to himself more than Link.

-o-o-

After a shared dinner of instant ramen and vegetables, Rhett was soon standing in front of an open drawer full of shirts, trying to decide what to wear. Why was everything so damn baggy? He didn’t know why he was so concerned about his clothes when his appearance took him by surprise every time he looked in the mirror, but eventually he found a pair of straight-leg jeans and a fitted plaid shirt.

“That’s what you’re wearing?” Link said when he caught Rhett admiring himself in the mirror. 

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” Rhett said, spinning around to find Link standing shirtless by his own dresser, the waistband of his underwear riding high above his low-slung jeans.

“What are those jeans? They’re so tight! Are they mine?” Link laughed.

“Shut up,” Rhett replied, laughing as well. He gestured in Link’s direction. “Is that all you’re wearing? I like it.”

“I thought I might wear a shirt,” Link grinned.

“I guess that’s good too.” 

Rhett sat down on his bed and watched Link pick out a shirt. He was fascinated with the tight, smooth skin stretched across Link’s shoulders… the slight curve at his waist… the dimples on his lower back… 

Rhett physically shook himself, trying to snap out of it. He was too old to be ogling Link at such a young age. 

He suddenly remembered what he wanted to tell Link. As he considered how important it was to share what was happening to him, he made a small noise in his throat, accidentally getting Link’s attention.

“Huh?” Link said, turning to look at him.

“I didn’t say anything,” Rhett said.

“Is something wrong?” Link said and sat down on the edge of his bed. “You’ve got a weird look on your face.”

“I’m just thinking…” Rhett began. “No. I’m remembering something. Something that didn’t happen to me.”

“Huh?”

Rhett struggled to find the words to describe what was going on. “I think I remember this happening to me when I was in college.”

“But you said this didn’t happen when you were in college,” Link said slowly, but looking intrigued. 

“It didn’t,” Rhett said, “but I feel like I’m starting to remember visiting the future as a kid.”

“Are you serious? You’re picking up on my Rhett’s memories?” Link said.

“Yeah! Like, I can remember meeting my wife for the first time… twice,” he grinned. “I remember being in our studio and not recognising any one. That one’s weird.” He hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should tell Link any more.

“Something else?” Link pushed.

“I remember kissing Link as an adult... an _adult_ adult. I’ve never done that before.” He paused before adding. “I think your Rhett and my Link kissed.”

They sat in silence for a while, accidentally making eye contact briefly before looking away. 

“I feel kind of weird about that,” Link said eventually.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Rhett replied. Sure, he and this Link had kissed too, but this was the time and place where they did that kind of thing! Plus he had all those hormones rushing around this body… Suddenly he had the ridiculous feeling he was cheating on Link.

“It’s weird to think about him running around in the future,” Link said, looking at Rhett thoughtfully. 

“Yeah,” Rhett agreed. “And how did he and my Link get into a situation where they’d… do that? I guess they must be spending a lot of time alone… talking things through.”

Neither spoke as they sat and considered the implications of their actions, and those of their counterparts.

“Maybe we should go to the party,” Rhett suggested. It was probably a good idea to have some other people around for a while.

“Okay!” Link said, practically jumping to his feet. Link had always been a lot more enthusiastic about parties than Rhett.

Phil lived in a frat house off-campus so they had to walk from their dorm. They decided to stop on the way at a liquor store. While Rhett thought he just about looked 21, he didn’t get ID’d very often, possibly because of his height.

Armed with a six-pack each, they walked up to the house which was buzzing with people. Rhett could already see a couple of people he recognised, but he was a bit nervous about not recognising people he spent every day with. 

“Hey,” He said to Link as they walked up the steps to the porch. “If I step on your foot, it means I don’t know the person I’m talking to and need your help. Okay?”

Link giggled, higher than Rhett was used to. “Don’t worry. I got your back bo.”

Rhett couldn’t hold back a grin.

They were barely through the door when Rhett opened and practically downed a can of beer. It tasted like crap but it was cheap and alcoholic so it would do. 

“Woah there buddy,” Link said, laughing slightly. “We just got here.”

“I guess I’m a little nervous,” Rhett said, grinning sheepishly. 

He needn’t have worried. He fell right back into his old routine with Link. They were able to talk easily with almost anyone, coming off as affable as they set each other up for jokes and laughed easily. It almost felt like being back home with his own Link. 

People were so used to seeing them together that the first thing anyone said when approaching Rhett alone was “where’s Link?” He only got stuck on a name once when he was alone but covered it up by hunting Link down in the crowd and immediately stepping on his foot.

“Oh hey Danielle,” he grinned.

 _Of course! Danielle Evans_ , Rhett reminded himself. He’d looked at her photo earlier that day. 

After his fourth beer, Rhett had forgotten what he’d been so nervous about in the first place. Everyone he’d spoken to had been super nice and his memory was better than he realised. 

He was lurking by a bowl of chips when Link muttered that he was going to the bathroom and would be right back. Rhett wasn’t too worried. They’d already spoken to everyone they knew and he was able to just relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Left to his own devices, he absent-mindedly reached for his phone before rolling his eyes and just looking around the room for entertainment.

What caught his eye was someone that looked an awful lot like Link making out with a girl he had pressed against a patio door. _So much for going to the bathroom_ , Rhett thought to himself.

Rhett couldn’t have said why, but he was suddenly angry. He stomped across the room to where the two were standing and roughly grabbed Link’s arm. “What the hell Link?” he demanded, turning Link away from the girl. 

Link spun around, looking mostly confused. “Huh? What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you?”

Rhett suddenly wasn’t sure what he was so angry about. “You came here with me and the second I turn around I find you with someone else,” he said, knowing how petty he sounded.

Link just stared at him, open mouthed. As did the girl he’d just been pulled off.

“It’s… disrespectful,” Rhett said, still not able to find quite the right words.

“God Link, I didn’t realise you already had a _boyfriend_ ,” the girl said in a mocking tone that Rhett didn’t appreciate.

“I don’t,” Link said through gritted teeth, “I have no idea why he’s acting like this.”

Neither did Rhett. 

“Maybe I should go and let you two have your lovers quarrel,” the girl said.

Link tried to catch her hand and stop her leaving but she slipped away, back into the crowd.

Link glared at Rhett for a moment before speaking. “What the hell has gotten into you?” he said, punctuating it with a gentle punch to Rhett’s arm. 

“She wasn’t wrong,” Rhett said, gesturing after the girl. 

“We’re not a couple Rhett. You’ve made that very clear,” Link said, loud enough to turn a few heads.

“Well… why not?” Rhett respond. Somehow he’d suddenly become a cheerleader for a relationship that he knew was doomed to fail. He wondered what kind of effect even having this conversation would have on the future.

“Because,” Link started, then suddenly lowered his voice. “Because you don’t love me like that. Right? That’s why we stopped when you and your Link were our age isn’t it?”

Rhett was stunned. Did Link really think that? All this time he’d thought Link was just along for the ride. He silently cursed their inability to properly communicate when they were kids. All their conversations suddenly seemed so superficial. “Do you… love me like that? I mean, him.”

Link rolled his eyes and glanced at the people around them. “You’re not my Rhett. I should be talking to him about this.”

“Probably,” Rhett agreed, still feeling a little shell-shocked. He looked helplessly down at Link. It was the same feeling he got when one of his kids had a problem he didn’t know how to solve, except worse. 

“I think maybe you should go home,” Link said a little louder.

“You’re staying?” 

“Yeah, I should try and make it up to Amelia,” Link said rolling his eyes again. Rhett couldn’t say for certain who Link was annoyed with. “And it’s not like you wanted to come in the first place,” he added.

“Okay then,” Rhett said, realising he didn’t really have a choice in the matter. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Don’t wait up for me,” Link said, giving Rhett a meaningful look.

Rhett stalked back to their dorm, sulking more than he’d ever admit. He knew Link saw girls on the side. Rhett did too! He didn’t remember feeling jealous at the time, so why did he feel so damn jealous now? He tried to tell himself it wasn’t jealousy. When Link had first gotten serious with Christy - _that_ was jealousy. He was so jealous he’d doubled down on meeting a ‘nice girl’ and found Jessie; the rest was history… or would be soon.

Still a little drunk, he grabbed a glass of water, stripped down to his underwear and threw himself onto his mattress. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling and tried to figure out what the hell was going on. 

Two days ago he was living his dream. He was happily married, doing his dream job with his best friend at his side. Living more than comfortably in a beautiful home surrounded by a loving family. He couldn’t imagine wanting more. He and Link had put any romantic involvement with one another behind them. 

Yet here he was, thrown right back into it, and it was like the last 20 years had never happened.

He was surprised to find tears running down his face. Why hadn’t they just talked about it? Why hadn’t he given Link that letter? 

It was already late when Rhett went to bed, but after two hours of lying awake, it became clear Link wasn’t coming back. He reached for his phone to check for any messages from Link before remembering he didn’t even have a phone right now.

Rhett was still feeling tipsy and a little horny and so he used the opportunity to explore his own body. He ran his hands down his belly, marvelling at how flat his stomach was with such minimal effort. He didn’t go to the gym or eat well in college but as a 41 year old, a few missed PT sessions had him loosening his belt. 

He dipped his hand lower, into his boxers and stroked his public hair. The first time he went to the bathroom after arriving in 1998, he’d been surprised to find it neatly trimmed. He didn’t remember doing that but perhaps if he’d been hoping for a special night with Link, he’d made an effort. 

Moving even lower, he took his dick in his hand, unsurprised to find himself hard. He remembered scoffing at the suggestion that younger men get erections more often, but he was starting to wonder if maybe it was true. On many a bus journey he had strategically placed his backpack on his lap to hide the inevitable hard-on. While he didn’t take buses very much now, he could do it without getting an erection from the vibrations.

He squeezed gently, wondering if he could just ignore it and go to sleep, but hey - he was alone and horny. Maybe it would help calm his nerves.

He started stroking gently and thought of one of his go-to images, but after a couple of minutes it became clear that wasn’t going to cut it. When images of Jessie didn’t work, his mind immediately went to Link. Adult Link. 

He allowed himself to access the new memory of the two of them making out on his couch while Titanic played in the background. He thought about Link’s hands on this beard - a feeling he secretly liked - drawing him close. He thought about Links lips on his; about pressing his own to Link’s skin while Link giggled at the sensation. 

His fingers twitched as he thought about squeezing Link’s ass - rounder than the one he’d touched last night, but firmer from Link’s faithful gym attendance. In his mind, he spread the cheeks teasingly, making his intentions clear to Link. 

He was both pissed and relieved that his younger self stopped things going any further. He didn’t want to cause Link that kind of guilt, however it would have made his current task a little easier. 

He stroked his cock faster now, and imagined Link’s hand replacing his own. They’d only jerked each other off a couple of times in college, but it always had Rhett coming within seconds. The memory wasn’t quite as potent though. 

He imagined stripping Link naked, right there in his living room and looking him over. Link would act shy but secretly he loves when people scrutinise his body. He works hard to look good and it pays off. Rhett takes his hand and guides Link back onto his lap. They both gasp as Link lowers himself down onto Rhett’s cock.

Link kisses him furiously as he rolls his hips, getting used to the sensation, but he’s soon riding Rhett enthusiastically.

Rhett pumped his cock roughly, his cheeks burning from lust and shame. He hadn’t thought about Link like this in such a long time and it almost seemed like the anticipation made it all the more hot. 

He came with Link’s name on his lips. He imagined spilling into Link as he comes untouched on Rhett’s dick. 

Rhett lay on his back, slightly breathless as the high passed and he was left with his regrets. He knew he shouldn’t have done that - it was too close to reality. 

He was grateful for the box of Kleenex his younger self had left by the bed. He pulled out a tissue and wiped himself clean before stuffing the soiled tissue down the side of the bed.

While he felt a little sleepier, he had failed to relieve any tension. Tucking himself back into his boxers, he rolled into his side and glanced at Link’s empty bed. He didn’t care to imagine what Link was doing right now.

He closed his eyes and tried to think of something, aside from Link, that made him happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on [Tumblr](https://mythical-ross.tumblr.com/)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Present Day

Rhett and Link had watched the rest of the movie in relative silence. Link couldn’t help worrying he’d ruined it for Rhett with his pouting, but he still said he loved it.

Jessie returned home just after seven and they ordered take out for dinner.

“You’re meeting her tomorrow?” Jessie said as she refilled her plate, “and she doesn’t sound crazy?”

“No crazier than we did,” Link said. He’d hoped they’d be able to avoid talking about this with Jessie. They weren’t going to be able to convince her there was any actual time-travel involved and as far as she was concerned, they were just indulging a delusion.

Usually when he had a problem that was too embarrassing to talk to anyone else about, he would talk to Rhett. It had only been a couple of days but he was really starting to miss Rhett. _His_ Rhett.

“And after tomorrow, you’re going to forget the whole thing?” she pressed.

“Sure,” Link said firmly.

“But what--” Rhett started, shutting up when Link shot him a dirty look.

“Good,” Jessie said. “I already have enough to worry about right now without you two putting yourselves in danger.”

After dinner, Link suggested Jessie show Rhett a few of his favorite video games while he actually had the time to play them. He intentionally picked out some simple, indie games with more basic graphics that would be fun but not freak him out. Meanwhile, Link ran home for a couple of hours to see his family and get some clean clothes.

When he returned, Rhett was still playing a game while Jessie watched from an armchair. He sat down beside Rhett to help him with a particularly complicated puzzle he was stuck on.

As the fun wound down, they started talking about going to bed. Link offered to make them all hot chocolate and Jessie laughed at the very suggestion. She told him to sit down and be quiet and went out to the kitchen.

Link took Rhett’s controller and tidied away the Playstation games before cleaning up the snacks they’d been having and returning them to the kitchen. He was glad he’d got to go home for a little normality, but he almost wished he’d been able to stay and play with Rhett for a little longer.

“We don’t get to do this much these days,” Link said, sitting down on Jessie’s chair. “It was fun.”

“What? Aren’t we our own bosses?” Rhett said, leaning back on the couch. 

Link pulled his legs up onto the seat and rested his chin on his knee. “Yeah, but we have a lot of responsibilities… it’s hard to find time to just hang out.”

Jessie returned with three cups on a tray and sat down beside Rhett. “Don’t look so sad,” she said, handing Rhett a mug. “You’re never happier than when you’re busy.”

Link nodded in agreement and took his mug from Jessie. “Plus we already see too much of each other at work.”

When Rhett finished his hot chocolate, he rose to go to bed, Link followed his lead. His back gave a twinge at the thought of the fold-out bed and he rubbed it without thinking.

“That bed isn’t too comfortable huh?” Jessie said, seeing his gesture.

Link laughed. “I’m just being dramatic. It’s not so bad,” he said.

“I told you, you can sleep in the big bed with me,” Rhett said as he left the room.

“I think I’ll pass,” Link said, smiling at Jessie. “What?” he said when Jessie didn’t even crack a smile.

“Link… sit down for a sec,” she said. The seriousness of her voice gave him pause.

“Uh, sure. Is something wrong?”

Jessie looked at him and sighed, considering her words. “No, nothing’s wrong. At least, I don’t think so.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I swore I’d never tell anyone this, but I guess there’s no point in keeping it a secret from you.”

Link didn’t like the sound of this. What secret did Jessie have that she’d want to share _now_?

“Rhett told me about… how you used to be more than friends,” she said eventually, looking at Link for confirmation. 

“Did he?” Link said, as neutrally as he could manage. He could feel his heart beating faster at her words. How long had she known? Why would Rhett tell her? He couldn’t help feeling a little betrayed. He’d never told another soul. Especially not Christy.

“He did,” Jessie went on, “and I was never really concerned. I’m not jealous or anything. He’s already as much your husband as he is mine. And people stay friends with their exes all the time, and you were already friends for so long before then…”

Link huffed out a laugh. He’d never really considered Rhett his _ex_. “Okay…” he said noncommittally. 

“But now… Rhett doesn’t remember the last 20 years,” she said, her implication clear.

Link nodded. “He has been a little more… handsy than usual,” was as much as he was willing to admit.

“Just… be careful with him. I don’t want him getting hurt. Especially not by you,” she said seriously.

Link always knew Rhett and Jessie were a great couple, but little moments like this reminded him just how much they cared about each other. Instead of worrying that Link was suddenly competition, she was more concerned about Rhett’s feelings. Link stood up, pulling Jessie with him, and gave her a hug. “I’ll be careful Jess, don’t worry.”

-o-o-

If he’d been thinking straight, he probably wouldn’t have taken Rhett up on his offer to share his bed. Only a day earlier he’d been able to turn him down, but a night of restless sleep and some cuddling on the couch was enough to impair his judgment. If he’d been thinking straight he certainly wouldn’t have chosen to sleep in only his underwear in the hopes of experiencing some skin-on-skin contact with a shirtless Rhett. He definitely wouldn’t have positioned himself against Rhett’s chest and embraced the arm around his waist as he fell asleep.

-o-o-

After a rushed breakfast, Rhett and Link prepared to go and meet Eleanor at the restaurant they’d agreed on.

They went early so they’d be there first (since Eleanor already knew what they looked like) and found a booth in the corner. Sitting on the same side of the table, they ordered some coffee and mentally prepared for their meeting.

“What do we do if she’s not able to help?” Rhett asked, staring into his cup.

“I don’t know,” Link admitted. “Who do you turn to when you have a problem no one believes is real?”

Rhett shrugged.

“Google?” Link answered himself with a wry smile at a blank-faced Rhett.

Link couldn’t stop fidgeting. He wondered if Rhett could tell how nervous he was before realizing of course he could. Rhett seemed calm, but he was always better at hiding it.

They’d been there about half an hour when a woman of about 60 approached their table. She looked far too unhappy to be a fan so Link assumed she was the lady they were there to meet. “Eleanor?” he said, before she said anything.

“Hello,” she said, extending her hand, “Link?”

“Yeah,” Link said, shaking her hand and gesturing for her to sit down opposite them. “And this is Rhett.”

“Hi Rhett,” she said kindly. “I’m sure this is all very strange to you,” indicating the world around them.

“It sure is,” he said with a grin. “At least Link hasn’t changed… much.”

“So you two have known each other a long time huh?” she said, smiling for the first time since she’d arrived.

“About 35 years,” Link said automatically. 

She nodded in acknowledgement. “For you at least,” she pointed out.

Link gave Rhett a sideways glance. It was weird to talk about his so openly with a stranger.

“Did you bring it?” she asked, getting right to the point.

“It’s in the car,” Link said. “We didn’t want to bring it in here.”

“Good,” she said. She looked at her hands clasped on the table in front of her for a moment and sighed. “There’s something I need to tell you,” she said, not lifting her eyes.

“Oh, uh… okay,” Link said.

“I didn’t build the machine,” she said, looking particularly at Rhett. “I’m sorry sweetie.”

Rhett and Link exchanged a look. “But--” Rhett started.

“You said,” Link continued.

“I said I sold it,” she pointed out. “I guess what I mean is, a different me built it.”

“You’re not from this time,” Rhett said, catching on first.

“I got pulled into this time from 1986 almost four years ago.”

They sat in silence while Rhett and Link absorbed the implications of what she said. If she couldn’t get back to her own time, how could she help get Rhett back?

“I didn’t really try very hard,” she said, answering the unasked question. “The older me left what I can only describe as a suicide note. Her husband had just died after years caring for him and suddenly thought her life was meaningless. She wanted to go back to before any of it happened to try and stop him getting sick.”

“Oh gosh, that’s so sad,” Link said quietly.

“But didn’t you want to try and get back?” Rhett asked, sounding a little worried. “You skipped 30 years of your life.”

“Truth be told, the life I left behind wasn’t all that great either. And I never even got to meet her husband so I don’t miss him.” She paused for a moment. “This is making me sound like a terrible person.”

Rhett reached out and placed a comforting hand on top of hers. “Love makes people do crazy things.”

“And so does desperation,” Link added. The longer Eleanor talked the more Link worried he might never get his Rhett back.

“When I found the note she left, I could hardly believe it was real. I didn’t feel right in my own body - I couldn’t move like I normally did… even my voice didn’t sound right to me. Everyone thought I’d just lost my memory, but they helped me adjust to this world.” She smiled at Rhett. “You’re lucky you have a friend that believes you.”

“I didn’t at first,” Link admitted, “but then I started to remember things that had never happened.”

Eleanor nodded. “Other people in your life will probably have that feeling too but they’ll think it’s their imagination and the memories will fade.”

Link nodded, but didn’t respond. He kind of hoped he’d be able to hold on to the new memories.

“So…” Rhett said, “what about me?”

Eleanor sighed. “I’m going to _try_ and help you,” she said, emphasizing the ‘try’. “I’ve been studying my older self’s notes and I think I’ve figured out how she did it. I’m going to try and reverse it.”

Link felt relief wash over him. He tried not to get his hopes up too much though. “You understand it all?”

Eleanor smiled at him. “I may not have thirty years of experience, but I’m still a physicist. Physics hasn’t changed much you know.”

“That’s fair,” he replied, smiling at Rhett who was still looking nervous.

“Will it be safe?” he asked quietly.

“I can’t promise that, no,” Eleanor said, locking eyes with him, “but it’s the only thing I can do if you want to get back to your own time.”

Rhett looked to Link, a combination of fear and confusion on his face. Link placed a comforting hand on his thigh. It was a crazy decision to have to make and to Rhett, it would be like making it for someone else.

Before either said anything, Eleanor went on, “I can take the machine with me and start work today.”

Link nodded. “Thank you Eleanor,” he said genuinely. “Can I ask you something? Why didn't you keep it?”

She gave a small shrug. “I was angry with my older self and that thing lying around was a constant reminder of what she’d done. It looked interesting and I thought someone might want it. I thought it was beyond repair… until you two came along.”

“I guess it was dumb luck that we got it to work,” Link said, grinning at Rhett who didn’t smile back.

Once the machine was loaded into Eleanor’s car, she shook both their hands with a reassuring smile. “I’m going to get to work right away. I’ll call you as soon as I make any progress.”

“Thanks again,” Rhett said.

“It’s okay. This is my fault after all. And Rhett honey,” she said, stroking a hand down his arm, “If you need to talk to someone who knows what you’re going through, feel free to give me a call.”

They turned to each other as Eleanor drove off, feeling hopeful for the first time in days. 

Link let out a long breath. “I guess all we can do now is wait.”  



	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Present day

They once again found themselves with the whole day to themselves. Link was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with how many unplanned days he was taking off work but tried to put it out of his mind. Instead, he asked Rhett if there was anything he’d liked to do.

“Maybe we could go to the beach, or for a hike or something,” Rhett suggested. “Something outside?”

“Sure, we could do that,” Link said thoughtfully. He and Rhett had been talking about going hiking for months but hadn’t found the time. “Let’s go get changed and go for a hike.”

“Why do we need to change?” Rhett asked, looking down at his jeans and plaid shirt.

Link laughed. In college they would have just gotten in his truck, driven fifty miles and walked another ten with nothing but the clothes they stood in. “Because these are nice clothes and these shoes have no arch support.”

Rhett scoffed, “You’re so old, bo.”

Link grinned. “You’re older than me! At least your body is. You’ll thank me when you can still walk tomorrow.”

They stopped by Link’s house first. The kids were at school and Christy was spending the day with a friend, so he brought Rhett inside for a look around. Rhett looked curiously at the family photos, mementos and keepsakes throughout the house, but offered little commentary. He was a little curious about Link’s record collection though. Once Link had changed into a more appropriate outfit, he made some sandwiches to bring with them and found a couple of bottles of water in the fridge. 

“Ready to go?” he asked Rhett, who was listening to the record player in Link’s office.

“Sure,” Rhett said, and followed Link back out to the car.

“Why do you have so many records?” Rhett asked as he put on his seatbelt. “I thought your music was all digital.”

“It is,” Link shrugged, pulling out of the driveway, “but vinyl has made kind of a comeback. Some people think it sounds better. Plus, collecting them is fun.”

“Do people still listen to like, cassette tapes?” Rhett said, sounding unconvinced. 

“Only the hipsters,” Link said with a grin.

“What’s a hipster?”

“Never mind.”

They went next to Rhett’s house. Jessie was still home and seemed relieved that they were planning to do something normal. Link followed Rhett to his wardrobe to make sure he was picking out a sensible outfit, while Jessie stuffed some extra granola bars into their bags for good measure.

Suitably attired, they were soon on their way.

The trail Link had chosen was fairly challenging and he knew there wouldn’t be many people around. He hadn’t however, realised just how quiet it would seem as he and Rhett walked the crude path together. Rhett’s endless questions had significantly subsided and Link was finding it harder to make conversation. They walked side by side through trees that grew thinner as they walked uphill. The sound of their boots on the gravelly path seemed to fill the air.

Several times, their hands brushed together and Link couldn’t help wondering if Rhett was doing it on purpose. When they were younger, they would have taken the opportunity to hold hands without hesitation. 

The fourth time their fingers touched, Link gave in to temptation and slipped his hand into Rhett’s. Mercifully, Rhett didn’t acknowledge the gesture. Not explicitly anyway. 

“What would you and your Rhett usually be doing right now?” He asked, breaking the long silence.

Link looked at his watch - a little after noon. “Depends,” he said. “Maybe recording an episode, maybe writing, maybe taking a meeting. What about you?”

“I don’t even know what day it is,” Rhett laughed.

“Monday,” Link said.

“No kidding,” Rhett said, a little bewildered. “Then I guess I’d be in Technical Writing with Professor Carter. Man, I hate that class.”

Link snorted. “The only class even kind of related to what we do now.”

“Are you saying college was a waste of time?” Rhett said, looking at Link with a small smile.

“I’m not going to tell you to drop out of college if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I’m kidding,” Rhett laughed. “Can’t miss out on the college experience, right?”

“Right,” Link said, a little relieved.

“Plus, I get to spend all that time with you,” he added, nudging Link gently.

“That’s true.”

“Can I ask you something?” Rhett said.

“Of course,” Link said. Rhett had done little else in the last few days.

“Did you ever find another guy attractive?” Rhett asked.

Link huffed out a shallow laugh. “Other that you, you mean?” He shrugged. “Sure, plenty of times.” He could practically see the puzzle being slowly pieced together in Rhett’s mind. He was gradually sorting through all the information he’d received in this time and trying to work out what exactly happened. “Have you?” Link said after a beat.

“I don’t know,” Rhett said. “I don’t think I like other guys; I just like you. Is that weird?”

Link smiled. Rhett was always so determined to put his feelings in labeled boxes. It must have driven him crazy to be so confused. “It’s not weird,” he said. “If that’s how you feel, it’s how you feel.”

Rhett nodded, relaxing a little and gripping Link’s hand a little tighter.

They continued along the sloping path until they reached what could generously be described as the summit. They weren’t all that high, but the view was still impressive. The could see the tops of the trees they’d come though, thinning out in both directions and eventually becoming houses. Ahead they could see more impressive hills.

Link couldn’t help turning to admire the equally as impressive sight by his side. Rhett looked glorious in the afternoon sun. His skin practically glowed and the sun shining on his hair and beard made him look downright radiant. He wondered, as he often did, how he got so lucky as to spend his life around such beauty.

“Lunch?” Rhett said with a grin. “Or maybe you’re ready for dessert?” he added. Link’s staring hadn’t exactly been subtle.

“Alright alright,” Link said, rolling his eyes. “Let’s start with lunch huh?” He set his backpack down on a rock and smiled when he found a picnic blanket stuffed on top of his supplies. Jessie must have put it in there when he was helping Rhett get changed. He nudged Rhett out of the way and spread the blanket on the ground, quickly stepping on the corner to stop it blowing away.

Rhett sat down first, looking out over the view, and started rooting through his backpack for sandwiches. He took up almost the whole rug on his own, this was going to be cosy. Link sat down beside him, their legs almost touching. “Isn’t this romantic?” Rhett laughed.

“Heh,” Link said, “and orchestrated by your wife.”

They ate their lunch quietly, chatting occasionally about the wildlife or their food. The quiet gave Link a chance to think back to college and see if he had any new memories. He smiled fondly at a memory he hadn’t even experienced. “Can I ask _you_ something?”

Rhett looked up, surprised. “Sure.”

“How would you feel if your Link and my Rhett had sex?” 

“Oh wow… uh…” Rhett tugged at the lace of his boot, embarrassed by the unexpected question. “Not good, that’s for sure.” 

“Yeah…” Link agreed.

“If Link and I are gonna have sex, I wanna be there for it,” Rhett said, sounding flustered, “especially if it’s only going to happen once.”

“It might be more for you,” Link pointed out.

Rhett nodded but didn’t respond, still looking down at his feet. “Why are you asking that?”

Link hesitated. He’d already told Rhett about the new memories and he was probably already suspicious. “Just… remembering something,” he said.

“Are you saying they did it?” Rhett said nervously.

“No,” Link said. “I don’t know. It’s confusing. I keep mixing up the old memories with the new ones. It was a long time ago man.” 

Rhett shuffled a little closer to Link on the blanket, their thighs touching. Link didn’t fail to notice. “I miss him so much,” Rhett said.

“I know buddy,” Link said and, against his better judgement, rubbed Rhett’s back. Rhett’s head nodded against Link’s shoulder in response. Link was feeling that same twinge of guilt and regret that he had the first time Rhett had gotten too cosy in the hospital. “Jessie knows about us,” he said, knowing Rhett probably wouldn’t care.

“Knows what?” Rhett said.

“That we had a romantic relationship before you guys met,” Link said, dropping his own head on top of Rhett’s. “She told me last night.”

“Oh right,” Rhett said, his voice neutral. “How did she know?”

“I guess Rhett musta told her,” he shrugged. “She warned me not to hurt you.”

“You couldn’t hurt me,” Rhett said. He lifted his head and gave Link a confused look.

“Are you kidding?” Link said. His heart ached at the look on Rhett’s face. He would never intentionally hurt him - he didn’t even like causing him mild confusion. “I could probably hurt you more than any other person.” Sitting looking out over the trees like they were the only two people in the world, it felt even more true.

-o-o-

Link had promised to go home and have dinner with his family, so he dropped Rhett off at his house and headed home for a few hours.

The kids had been horrified to hear about Rhett’s accident, and even more horrified at the thought of him forgetting they existed.

“Imagine uncle Rhett used a time machine to change places with his younger self,” he told Lincoln and Lando. “That’s what it feels like to him.”

Christy laughed and rolled her eyes at Link’s explanation. “Jess says he’s adjusting well,” she said. “It must be so strange for him.”

“It’s been weird for all of us,” Link added.

When the kids left the room, Link finally broke down and cried. Christy went to his side and threw her arms around his shoulders. “It’s ok hun, let it out.”

“I’ve been trying so hard to keep it together for him and Jess,” he admitted. “The fact is, I’m so worried about not getting Rhett back that I haven’t even had time to worry about like, work or _his_ life.”

“We’ll work it out,” Christy said. “It’s still Rhett.”

Link’s whole body shook with sobs that he didn’t feel the need to hold back. “How will I know when to give up?” he asked himself as much as Christy. 

She hugged him tighter, stroking the back of his neck with her fingertips. “Don’t think of it as giving up; think of it as accepting a new normal,” she said calmly. “You two can still create together, it’ll just take some time to adjust.”

By the time Link was leaving again (with some reluctance), he was feeling a lot better. It had been cathartic to let Christy look after him for a while and he left feeling a little more optimistic. 

He arrived back at Rhett’s house and let himself in with his own key. He couldn’t help feeling relieved to be back where he could keep an eye on Rhett. He seemed to have gotten the message about what he could and couldn’t say, but Link still liked to be there just in case.

He closed the front door behind him and heard Rhett and Jessie talking in the living room. He walked up to the door to try and hear what they were talking about. He didn’t know what he was expecting to hear, but he could feel his heart beating faster as he pressed his ear to the door.

“I like _everything_ about you!” Jessie was saying.

“Well then just tell me what you like most,” Rhett said.

Jessie giggled in response. “Do you want the PG answer or the R-rated answer?”

Link almost choked. He wouldn’t want to intrude on any personal conversations, but he really didn’t need to hear this right now. “Hello?” he called from the hallway, hoping he wouldn’t startle them too much.

“Hey Link!” Jessie said, laughter still in her voice. “Come on in.”

Link waited a couple of seconds before opening the door. He found Rhett and Jessie facing each other on the couch, Jessie’s legs resting on his thighs. They looked so comfortable with each other, Link couldn’t help feeling jealous. 

“Oh, hey guys,” Link said innocently. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Nah, we’re just having a bit of fun,” Jessie said. She untangled herself from Rhett’s legs and got up to give Link a peck on the cheek. “I was just about to make coffee, you want some?”

“Sure,” Link said before taking Jessie’s place on the couch. Rhett gave him a goofy grin. “You two are certainly getting on well,” he said, trying not to sound jealous.

“Yeah,” Rhett said, looking Link over carefully, “she’s really great.” 

“Good,” Link said, suddenly unable to think of anything else to say.

Rhett let the silence stretch for another few seconds. “You jealous or something?” He said eventually.

“No!” Link said defensively, before his resolve weakened. “Yes… I don’t know why, you’ve been married for almost 20 years. So have I! I feel like when you and Jessie first started dating.” _Heartbroken._

Rhett just nodded, adding another piece to the Rhett and Link puzzle. 

That night, when Link asked to share Rhett’s bed, Rhett agreed with a knowing look.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 1998

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Part 1 of 2)

Rhett woke up the next morning, still alone in the dorm room, with an uneasy feeling he tried to ignore. He hadn’t used images of Link to jerk off in years, but the guilt was the same.

He glanced around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings once again. Everything was exactly where he left it the night before except Link’s bed had been slept in. He must have come home after Rhett fell asleep. That was pretty late… who knows what he might have gotten up to in that time.

Trying not to think about it, Rhett rolled out of bed, pulled on some sweatpants, and found a Pop Tart to have for breakfast. As he sat on his bed against the headboard, he instinctively reached for his phone and rolled his eyes when he realised what he’d done. 

After a few minutes the door opened and Link entered the room wrapped in a towel and carrying his shower caddy. He gave Rhett a small nod when he noticed he was awake. “Mornin’” Link said, his expression neutral.

“Morning,” Rhett replied. He hesitated before asking the question he was itching to ask. He watched as Link went to his dresser and pulled out his clothes for the day. These days Link was a lot more selective when deciding what to wear. “When did you get back?” Rhett asked eventually.

Link looked over and considered his answer for a moment. Rhett couldn’t read the expression on his face. “Around 2 or 3,” Link said with a shrug.

Rhett nodded. Link must have come in after Rhett fell asleep. “So… Amelia?” Rhett prompted

“Nice huh?” Link said, before sitting down on the edge of his bed with the pile of clothes in his lap. 

”Oh uh, yeah. Very pretty,” Rhett said, nodding again. Link wasn’t going to make this easy. 

“Is there something you want to ask me?” Link said with, perhaps, a hint of a smile.

“Did you sleep with her?” Rhett asked bluntly. 

“If I did would you be jealous?” 

Rhett laughed nervously. Link didn’t understand the gravity of his question… “Of course I’d be jealous.”

“Aww,” Link grinned. “Well you can relax. She left right after you broke up our kiss.”

“Oh right. Uh… sorry,” Rhett said, suddenly feeling a lot better. “Why were you so late then?”

Link shrugged. “Good party.”

Rhett looked away as Link stood up and started getting dressed. They’d both decided years ago they weren’t going to have sex until they met the person they were going to marry. They gradually relaxed their opinion on the matter but Link was still the only person Rhett had had sex with other than his wife. As far as he knew, the same was true for Link, but after Rhett came back and changed history… who knows what Link would be willing to do now.

Most weekends they drove home to spend time with their families, but Rhett was reluctant to stray too far from campus. He didn’t particularly want to be around that many people who knew him well and might know something was wrong. He was relieved when Link said he would stay for the weekend too.

Link called his mom to say neither of them would be home because they both had to study and she said she’d let Rhett’s mom know too. Cell phones had their problems but Rhett was really missing the ability to send off a quick text to his mom to tell her he was okay. 

Link really did need to study, so while he worked at his desk, Rhett sat on the couch and read a book. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to sit quietly and read on a Saturday morning. Usually he’d be running errands or driving his kids around. He didn’t usually mind being busy, but he appreciated the opportunity to do nothing for a while. 

He found himself listening intently to Link’s small movements - the scratch of his pen on paper, the rustle of his clothes as he crossed and uncrossed his feet under his chair, the sighs as he came to particularly complicated problems. He suddenly realised he’d read the same paragraph three times and still didn’t know what it said. 

“Would it be too distracting if I played guitar for a while?” Rhett asked. 

“Not at all,” Link said happily. “It might help me concentrate.”

Rhett grinned and picked up his old guitar. He appreciated the familiar feel of it in his hand, like it was the same guitar he’d been playing for years. He and Link had written their first song on that guitar and Rhett felt like he should have treated with more reverence. 

“Any requests?” He said as he gave the guitar a quick tune up. 

“Something from the future that I can memorize and pretend I wrote it,” Link grinned.

Rhett chuckled and played some random chord progressions instead. “We still write songs together you know,” he said, feeling that was a safe enough piece of information to share.

Link turned in his chair to face Rhett, fresh excitement on his face. “Really? Like, comedy songs?” 

“Yeah,” Rhett grinned. “You wanna hear one?”

Link practically bounced out of his seat. “Oh my gosh, yeah! Is that allowed?”

“Probably not,” Rhett laughed, “but I’m in a good mood.” He decided on My OCD, thinking Link would probably realise he was the inspiration for the lyrics. As he played a short introduction, Link turned his chair right around to face Rhett so he could take it all in. 

As Rhett sang through the first verse and chorus, a smile spread across Link’s face and he giggled occasionally at the lyrics. By the second verse he was humming along, adding harmonies close enough to correct that Rhett couldn’t help but smile. By the second chorus he’d already picked up the lyrics and was practically singing his usual part. Rhett just about made it to the end of the song before tears were running down his face.

“What’s wrong?” Link asked looking worried. 

Rhett wasn’t really sure what was wrong. He wiped his face and tried to smile at Link. “I dunno, I guess I just miss home. Him. Everything.”

“I know bo,” Link said, nodding sadly. He moved from his desk chair to the couch and sat as close to Rhett as possible with the guitar in his arms. “I bet they’re in the future, figuring out how to get you home right now.”

Rhett gave a small smile. “Sure…” he said, unconvinced. 

“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?” Link said.

He was almost afraid to think about it. There was every possibility he was going to be stuck there forever and the more time passed, the more he thought maybe he should just start accepting it. “Hug my family. Hug Link… Write a book because who’s going to believe this?” 

“Are you and Link gonna, um… talk?” 

“Talk,” Rhett said. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll have plenty to talk about.”

Link nodded. Neither spoke for a moment, already knowing what the other was thinking. Rhett already knew the subject of “them” had come up in the future. He could remember it. When he and Link were reunited, would they be able to go on like nothing had happened? In this environment, with this Link, it was hard to imagine a future where he and Link were able to just ignore their feelings.

“Why don’t we watch a movie?” Link said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Maybe it’ll help you relax.”

“Don’t you need to study?”

“I can do it tomorrow,” Link said, “I need to relax too.”

Already certain he had convinced Rhett, Link went to Rhett’s bookshelf to browse his VHS collection. He picked up  _ Bill and Ted _ and showed it to Rhett with a grin.

“Too close to home,” Rhett laughed.

Link settled instead on _ Jurassic Park _ (he wanted to rewatch it before they rented the new one) and joined Rhett on the couch again. 

“Hey uh… can I ask you something?” Link said, sounding a little nervous.

Rhett didn’t like the sound of that…

“Okay. If it’s something I’m able to answer,” he said cautiously. 

Link bit his lip and looked down at his hands on his lap. Without looking up he said, “Did you guys ever have sex?”

The words sounded awkward coming out of him, like he’d never said them out loud before. Rhett hadn’t expected him to ask such a blunt question and he was caught off-guard. He wasn’t sure what he could actually say without messing up this Link’s future. “I don’t think I  _ can  _ answer that,” he said after a pause. 

Link nodded solemnly, hearing an answer Rhett hadn’t given.

“It shouldn’t change anything for you,” he told Link, placing a hand on his thigh. 

Link looked up at him like someone had just kicked his puppy. Rhett felt like crying again, but instead, he put an arm around Link’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. “We make quite a pathetic pair, don’t we?”

Link reached an arm around Rhett’s back and settled his head into the crook of his neck. “I miss my Rhett,” he mumbled.

Link’s head was frustratingly close, and without thinking, Rhett kissed Link’s temple. 

Link pulled back and looked up at him. Before either could speak, he climbed up onto his knees and straddled Rhett’s legs. Rhett hooked his hand around Link’s neck to pull him in for a kiss, but there was no need. Link was already racing towards him. Their lips crashed together almost painfully - their mutual desire too great to ignore.

Rhett closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of Link’s lips against his own. They couldn’t keep doing this… he’d already drawn the line and they were both blatantly ignoring it. His hand drifted into Link’s hair, gently combing his hand through the length. Link’s hair was rarely so unkempt any more.

Rhett pulled away and let out a sigh.

“Don’t say it,” Link whispered before Rhett could speak. 

“I’m sorry,” Rhett said. It was the only thing he could think of saying that wouldn’t get them both in trouble.

Link sat back, not getting off Rhett’s lap so he could look him over. “I hate hearing you talk like that,” he said sadly.

“The more time I spend here, the harder it gets to say it,” Rhett admitted. His hands rested comfortably on Link’s waist, his thumbs rubbing circles into Link’s side. “Gosh Link, the things I want to do to you,” he added in a whisper. 

Link let out a shuddering breath. He didn’t move a muscle, like he was afraid he might scare Rhett away. “What would you do?” he said quietly.

Rhett swallowed hard, staring into Link’s eyes. So youthful and innocent and yet so sinful at the same time. “I can’t…”

“You can,” Link said, rubbing Rhett’s thighs encouragingly. “Please.”

This was new. They never talked about this stuff, it just happened. At twenty Rhett would have been mortified to say any of it explicitly but now...

“I want to kiss you,” Rhett said experimentally. 

“You did that already,” Link pointed out.

“I mean all of you. I wanna kiss every inch of your smooth, tight body,” Rhett said, his voice low.

“You could,” Link said, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

“I want to help you undress, and feel your skin under my fingers,” he said, dipping his hand under Link’s shirt and touching the forbidden skin below. “And then I would throw you down on that twin bed,” he said, gesturing towards Link’s side of the room, “and fuck you into the mattress.”

“Gosh Rhett!” Link wasn’t used to hearing Rhett use such strong language. He leaned forward and kissed Rhett’s neck, right below his ear, peppering kisses along his jawline

“And then just when you think it’s all over, I’d lick the sweat from your chest and start again.”

Link smiled against Rhett’s skin. “You wouldn’t have the stamina, old man.”

Rhett snorted. “God I’ve missed the feeling of you on my cock.”

Link pulled back and looked at him in surprise. “So you guys did sleep together!”

Rhett hesitated. With all the blood rushing to his cock, he’d forgotten himself for a moment. “Yeah, just once,” he said slowly.

Link’s expression became desperate. As he held Rhett at arms’ length, Rhett could practically see him trying to figure it all out. “And then… what? You just went on like it never happened?” He said. 

“You’re kind of killing the mood here buddy,” Rhett said, forcing a laugh. 

“I just can’t believe you did… that, and it didn’t mean anything,” Link said. 

He was goading Rhett and as much as Rhett hated to admit it, it was kind of working. “Look, it meant something. Trust me.” 

Link gave him a pleading look. Nothing Rhett could tell him would make him happy.

“I know it feels like the actual sex is the be all and end all when you’re 19…” Rhett went on.

Link gave a frustrated grunt, cutting Rhett off. “Don’t talk down to me Rhett, please.” 

Rhett sighed, wishing he could make Link understand… wishing even more that he understood himself. He tried to string together the right combination of words to make Link kiss him again. “I’m sorry,” Rhett said, punctuating it with a kiss at the corner of Link’s mouth. “You’re right, we were the idiots.”

Link’s expression softened slightly. “We won’t make the same mistakes,” he said quietly. 

Rhett just nodded. He released his grip on Link’s waist and hauled him closer so they were practically chest to chest. He could feel Link’s erection against his stomach, his own pressed against Link’s butt. Leaning forward, he spoke directly into Link’s ear. “I’ve missed the feel of your skin under my tongue. My lips.”

To demonstrate, he pressed his lips to Link’s exposed neck. He closed his eyes, no longer speaking to this Link, but the one he left in the future. “I’ve missed being the warm body you cling to for comfort. I’ve missed being closer to you than any other person.”

Link kissed him again, more desperately this time, letting little moans of “yes” spill from his lips. 

A part of Rhett felt like crying again. He was verbalizing things he’d never admitted to even feeling but he felt safe doing it here. Would Link remember hearing it in the future?

Link leaned his forehead against Rhett’s as they both gasped for breath. “Will you fuck me Rhett?” he said with a nervous giggle. It sounded so unnatural to hear Link say those words, Rhett couldn’t help but laugh nervously along with him. 

Rhett closed his eyes and shook his head. It took every ounce of will-power he had to say, “I’m not your Rhett.”

Link nodded, his face expressionless. 

“If we don’t get switched back, then maybe.” 

Link didn’t speak for a moment. He swallowed hard and said, “Will you at least tell me what it was like?”

That night was seared into Rhett’s memory; he could still remember every minute detail. 

Rhett glanced at the window as though someone might see them on the second floor. "Lock the door," he told Link, "I don't want anyone to interrupt."


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January 1998

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Part 2 of 2)

Link gave him a crooked smile and dismounted to cross the room and lock the door as Rhett had suggested. Rhett arranged himself on the couch, leaning against the arm so he and Link could face each other and paused the movie. Link's cheeks were already turning red when he sat down opposite Rhett on the couch. 

"So," Rhett started, "What do you want to know first?"

"Oh goodness," Link said, looking away. "Just tell me everything."

"I don't remember you being so shy," Rhett said fondly. "Okay well, it would have happened two nights ago, after we saw Titanic."

"No kidding," Link said. His eyes turned diagonally upwards as he remembered what actually happened that night.

Rhett closed his eyes and thought back to that day. "We sat in the back row at the movie theater. It came out the month before so there was hardly anyone else there. The movie had barely started but I couldn't keep my hands off of you... you were so hot back then. Still are,” he admitted. He opened his eyes to give Link a wink.

Link looked down, blushing fiercely. “Oh Rhett,” he laughed. 

“I started with my hand on your knee and when you didn’t stop me, I moved my hand up til I was cupping your dick… you always get so hard so fast Link. It’s impressive.”

“Goodness…”

“I’m just getting started baby,” Rhett grinned. “Don’t worry, I didn’t jerk you off in the middle of the movie theater. Though from the noises you were making, I thought you were gonna drop to your knees and blow me right there in the back row.”

“I wouldn’t,” Link said, laughing nervously. 

“You would,” Rhett grinned. “We made out the whole way through the movie… we never stopped touching each other. We managed to pull ourselves together for the journey home, and actually went straight to bed… like the well behaved college kids we pretended to be,” Rhett grinned and closed his eyes again. “But I couldn’t control myself any more. I  _ needed _ you Link. My body was craving you like oxygen. I got out of bed, took off my underwear, and climbed buck naked into your bed.”

“You came to me?” Link asked, his voice unusually high. 

“I sure did,” Rhett said, giving him a small smile. “And now I know what would’ve happened if I’d waited long enough.”

Link looked away, still smiling.

“I wrapped my arms around you and pressed myself against your back. I hadn’t even done anything and you were already moaning like a whore.” Rhett adjusted his position to accommodate his erection. “That would have been enough for me. Just lying naked beside you with the fabric of your shirt pressed against my chest, but fortunately you had other ideas.”

Link repositioned himself as well. “Me?”

Rhett laughed. “Yeah, you. Next thing I knew, you were on top of me, kissing me like it was our last night on Earth. It was… ugh, sinful. When I managed to get a breath I told you I wanted to go ‘all the way’.” Rhett laughed again, rolling his eyes. “Like speaking in code would somehow disguise what I wanted to do… I wanted to have sex with you Link. I wanted to lose my virginity to you.”

Link’s lips parted as he inhaled sharply. “You’re a virgin?”

“Yeah.”

“But what about Emma Hunter? Debra Jackson?”

“Nope.”

“Huh,” Link said, reassessing the situation slightly. 

“I had no idea what I was doing… neither of us had even been with a girl before. But you… you’d done your homework. Not that I have to tell you that.” Rhett got suddenly to his feet, earning a confused look from Link, and marched over to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and found a tube of KY Jelly, exactly where Link had got it in his 20 year old memory. Returning to the couch, he tossed it to Link who caught it with a start.

“I like to be prepared,” Link said sheepishly.

“I swear,” Rhett said, settling back on the sofa. “Even the thought of you buying that got me so hot. Did you go to a gas station out of town where no one would recognise you? Did you get it for me or in case you met some girl?”

“For you,” Link said quickly. He looked down at the tube and unscrewed the cap a little. 

Rhett could tell Link wanted to touch himself, but sitting on the couch they were both so exposed. They’d jerked off together before, and even got each other off a couple of times, but it was all in the dark or under the covers. Before continuing his story, Rhett went and retrieved the blanket from his bed and spread it over the couch covering Link’s lap. As an afterthought he pulled the blanket over himself as well - showing Link his dick in the cold light of day would probably be pushing him a little far.

Link passed Rhett the lube and his hand disappeared under the blanket. He bent his knees so Rhett was unable to see what he was doing, but he had a pretty good idea. 

“You seemed so confident to me back then, I thought you were bound to have done it before,” Rhett recalled.

“I haven’t,” Link said seriously.

“I know, you told me after,” Rhett said. “I could’ve cried when you stopped kissing me, but then you got down between my legs. I was so nervous. So excited… I dunno when you did it, but your fingers were covered in lube and next thing I knew you were touching my asshole. I couldn’t believe it was really happening. I kept saying ‘Link’s touching me there. Those are Link’s fingers on my hole’.” He looked down at the lube in his hands and turned the screw cap experimentally. How did they manage without a flip cap? “I always wondered how you figured out what to do. I couldn’t imagine you going out and buying gay porn.”

It was Link’s turn to grin knowingly. “That’s exactly what I did,” he said. “As soon as I decided I wanted to do it with you I wanted to do some research.”

“Always the planner,” Rhett grinned. “It felt so weird, but so good. My ass was completely covered in lube. I naively thought two guys could only do it doggy style, but you didn’t even give me a chance to turn over. The next thing I knew, you were hovering over me with your cock in your hand. I was practically begging you to fuck me.”

“Gosh, Rhett!” Link half-gasped. His arm never stopped moving under the blanket.

“These are the details you want, right?”

Link nodded enthusiastically.

Rhett’s cock was straining against his pants. He couldn’t resist any more opened his pants to free his cock and squeezed some of the lube into his hand. “You poked me in the taint a couple of times before you found my hole, but eventually you managed it.” He looked Link directly in the eye, stroking his own cock. “You were inside me Link. We were having sex.”

Link looked away, embarrassed. But there was no hiding the smile on his face. 

“And then you started moving.” Rhett closed his eyes and took his time remembering the moment, jacking himself under the blanket. He smiled fondly at the memory. “It was a little awkward… it took a while for you to get comfortable and to find a rhythm. Your cock slipped out a couple of times. You stopped moving every time we kissed. But God… you could have done anything to me and I’d have given you everything.”

Link bit his lip, still looking away. Rhett felt a twinge of guilt for what he was doing. Link was only 19, and sure he was describing things that 19 year old Link had done, but saying it so explicitly felt a little wrong.

“You ok man?” Rhett said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“Yeah it’s just a bit much.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No, I wanna hear it,” Link said. “Just don’t look at me.”

“Heh, okay,” Rhett said, and closed his eyes once more. “We were both so horny, it was never going to last long. Neither of us managed more than a couple of minutes. You came first - you made the most delicious sound, I’d never heard anything like it. I know it sounds silly, but I could actually feel you coming inside me. I felt like I could come hands-free right then, but you put your hand on my cock and it just pushed me over the edge right away. There was so much more come than either of us expected and it got all over us, but at that moment neither of us really cared. You collapsed on top of me and just lay there together until we both fell asleep.”

Rhett opened his eyes to see Link’s reaction. His breathing had become even heavier and his arm was moving furiously. “Shit Rhett,” he gasped. “That was… freakin’... wow!”

“You gonna finish now or do you want me to tell you about the next time we fucked that night?”

“There’s more?” Link said, stopping abruptly. 

“Yeah,” Rhett said innocently. “We always said we only slept together once, but the truth is, we did it three times in the same night.”

Link looked like he was having an existential crisis. “Are you serious?” he panted. “I’m already so close, just tell me about the first time again.”

Rhett chuckled and pumped his cock a little faster. “Your cock felt so good inside me,” he growled. “We were too dumb to use a condom and the feel of your skin was, ugh… fucking amazing. It sounds cliche but it felt like velvet.”

“More,” Link begged.

“I yelled your name so loud when I came, Mike and Peter heard it through the wall… they thought we were fighting.”

“Almost…”

“A part of me wanted them to hear. To come into the room and see you taking what was yours and me, begging you to fuck me….”

Link let out a long cry and his hand slowed almost to a stop. If Rhett hadn’t known better he might have thought he was in pain. He was dying to pull the blanket back and see what kind of mess Link had made but thought better of it. Link rested his head against the back of the couch, apparently unable to speak.

Rhett was getting close too. This was new territory for him as well - he and Link had never talked about stuff like that out loud and the fact that he’d managed to get Link off was thrilling. He thought back to the night in question and remembered how he’d fucked Link the next time. How he followed Link’s instructions and fucked him slowly but thoroughly - the way he moaned, the way he completely came apart at Rhett’s touch…

With a grunt, he came too. His head dropped forward, his eyes heavy. “So good Link,” he muttered. It hadn’t occurred to him to get so much as a Kleenex before sitting down, so he cleaned himself up using the underside of the blanket.

Rhett looked up to find Link watching him like a hawk. “That was really hot,” Link said quietly. “I never heard you talk like that.”

“I used to be too embarrassed,” Rhett grinned.

“Um… sorry about your blanket,” Link said, peeking under his side of the cover. 

“Don’t worry, you can loan me a quarter for the laundry.” Rhett tucked himself back into his jeans and emerged from under the blanket before returning the lube to Link’s drawer. “Why don’t we go get lunch out and when we come back I can tell you about the rest of the night?”

“Okay!” Link said enthusiastically, “but I better put on some clean clothes.” When he stood up there was an obvious jizz stain on his pants.

“Good idea,” Rhett agreed.

While Link changed out of his dirty jeans, Rhett took the long-forgotten tape out of the VCR and returned it to the shelf. 

Without warning, a blinding pain shot through Rhett’s skull. He stumbled, dropping the tape and knocking several others into the floor. “Link?” He called, panicking.

“Rhett? Are you okay? What happened?”

Rhett could hardly speak with the pain in his head. His vision was going black but he could just about make out Link rushing towards him.

“Rhett!”

“My head…” he managed, before everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Present day

As the days went on, Rhett and Link settled into a routine while they waited to hear from Eleanor. They spent each morning hanging out at Rhett’s house, Link trying to get some work done in Rhett’s home office, before trying a different restaurant every day for lunch. In the afternoon Link would take Rhett out for some kind of activity, they’d have dinner at their own homes, and then Link returned to Rhett’s to sleep. Link was starting to worry he had outstayed his welcome, but Rhett still seemed pleased when he arrived each night.

As the days drew on, Link started to consider what his life would be like if Rhett didn’t get back to his own time. If this became the ‘new normal’, as Christy had put it. They’d need to take a break for a while, but they could probably get back to work eventually. It would take some adjustment, but the fans would get used to this version of Rhett. It would probably be hardest on his family - he didn’t know his own kids, and would have to become a father to teenagers when he was barely more than a teenager himself. And then there were all the years he missed out on. It would be difficult, but like Christy had said, they’d get through it. 

It was Friday before they heard from Eleanor again. Link was at home watching TV with Lily and Lincoln when his phone rang. He tried not to overreact when he saw the caller ID. 

“Hello?” he answered, barely giving his ringtone time to play. 

“Link, it’s Eleanor,” came the calm female voice on the other end.

“Hey, it’s good to hear from you,” he said, the relief evident in his voice. “Any progress?”

“I believe so, yes.”

Link felt like someone had thrown cold water over him and he was suddenly awake for the first time in days. “Oh my gosh, that’s great.”

“I have a few more tests to run,” she said, “but we should be ready to try it tomorrow morning.”

“We’ll be there. Can you text me the address?” 

Link had barely ended the call before he was being quizzed by the kids. 

“Who was that?” Lily asked.

“Her name’s Eleanor, she’s helping with Rhett’s… condition.”

“Is she a doctor?” Lincoln chimed in from Link’s other side.

“She’s a scientist.”

“What does she do?”

“I don’t know exactly, but something similar happened to her one time and we thought she could help.”

“When are you going?”

“Tomorrow,” Link said, extracting himself from the couch. He looked down at his kids’ concerned faces and hesitated. 

“Aren’t you going to go tell Rhett?” she said, like it was the obvious thing in the world.

“Uh… yeah!”

Lily and Lincoln just stared at him.

“Oh, now! Yeah, I should…” after quick goodbyes all around, Link grabbed his overnight bag and left for Rhett’s.

He tried to concentrate on the road while he was driving, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the time machine. By this time tomorrow, he’d either have the old Rhett back or be back to the drawing board. At what point would they give up if it didn’t work? Would tomorrow be the first day of this new life with Rhett?

When he arrived at Rhett’s house he found Rhett and Jessie in the kitchen, cooking together. They both turned around when Link burst into the room.

“Link!” Jessie said, surprised at his sudden appearance. “You’re back early.”

“Am I?” He said, trying to sound casual, but sounding more like he’d run the whole way there. “I had dinner early, I’ll just go to Rhett’s office for a while.”

Jessie gave him a skeptical look. Rhett just looked confused. Why had he said that? He hadn’t eaten at all and Christy and Jess would probably talk later. “Okay,” she said slowly. “You can join us if you like.”

“No no, that’s fine,” Link said, fixing his hair. “Rhett, come see me when you have a minute. I have something I need to talk to you about.” 

“Sure,” Rhett said. 

Link fled the room and headed for the office. He was usually better at playing it cool, but then the stakes weren’t usually so high. Jessie was bound to know something was going on.

Link dumped his bag on Rhett’s “reading chair” and sat down at his desk. In the rush to leave the house he’d forgotten his laptop, so he switched on Rhett’s to log into their shared emails as a distraction. He’d cleared the inbox that morning so there wasn’t much to do. He was tempted to leave a browser tab open with porn to try and embarrass Rhett, but decided against it. Instead, he paced the floor to pass the time. It was almost 45 minutes before Rhett came to find him. Link was beginning to think he’d forgotten.

“Where have you been?” Link demanded as soon as Rhett entered the room. 

Rhett looked surprised, but quickly regained his composure. “Jessie was teaching me to make five bean chili,” he grinned. “I didn’t realise you wanted to see me so urgently.”

Link narrowed his eyes. “Yes you did.” He was used to adult Rhett choosing to spend time with his wife instead of Link, but this was the first time this version of Rhett had put him second. All of a sudden, Link was 19 again and jealous that Rhett wanted to go on a date instead of hanging out with him in their dorm. He felt the urge to go home to his own wife and kids to make himself feel better.

“What’s up?” Rhett prompted. 

Link shook himself, wishing he didn’t care so much. “Eleanor called,” he said. 

Rhett perked up a bit. “She did?”

“She said she’s fixed the time machine.”

“Oh my gosh”

“Yeah, we can try it tomorrow morning.”

“Oh my gosh,” Rhett said again.

“I know…”

Link watched as Rhett silently considered what he’d said. Talking about it was one thing, but now they had an appointment time and a physicist who believed it might actually work. Link couldn’t help noticing how scared Rhett suddenly looked.

“You don’t have to do this you know,” Link said. It wasn’t his decision to make but he really hoped Rhett wouldn’t back out now.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… you could just stay like this. Move on from here,” Link shrugged. Rhett was bound to have considered it as an option - thought about what it would be like.

“I have to try.”

-o-o-

The next morning, Jessie immediately knew something was going on. She wondered aloud why they were leaving so early and why they were so obviously lying when she asked directly where they were going. 

“Please be careful,” she told Link as they left Rhett’s house. “If you won’t tell me what you’re doing it must be something dumb or dangerous.”

Link tried to reassure her but left feeling like he’d probably just made her more suspicious. 

They drove to Eleanor’s in silence, both too nervous to say anything productive. It all felt so real right now and Link couldn’t help going through all the potential outcomes in his head.

“Hello again boys,” Eleanor greeted them at the door. “Come on in.”

“Thanks,” Link said, and followed her inside. Eleanor’s house looked exactly as Link had imagined. The walls were lined with books and photographs and a faint smell of lavender filled the air. She had obviously been working at the dining table in her open-plan first floor, but she led them through a door in the kitchen to the garage.

“So you got it to work?” Rhett asked unnecessarily. 

Link couldn’t stop looking at the gold contraption sitting on the workbench before him. The thing actually worked. That piece of junk had caused them all this trouble.

“I’ve run a few tests,” Eleanor said, “and yes, I believe it should be able to get you back to your own time.” Her voice had an air of confidence, but the way she was wringing her hands made Link a little nervous.

“This is really it,” Rhett said, turning to Link with wide eyes. 

“Are you ready to go back home Rhett?” Eleanor asked.

Link placed a supportive hand on Rhett’s shoulder. Selfishly, he couldn’t wait for Rhett to push that button again, but he knew it was bound to be frightening for him.

“I think I’m ready,” Rhett said, not looking away from Link.

Link couldn’t think of anything to say. He rubbed his hands on the side of his jeans, hoping no one would notice how much he was sweating.

“Why don’t I give you two some time alone to say goodbye?” Eleanor said kindly, before slipping out the door.

Link looked back at Rhett. He had no idea what to say, or more accurately, where to start.

“This doesn’t feel like a goodbye,” Rhett said thoughtfully before Link had a chance to speak.

“More like, see you later,” Link agreed. He didn’t feel like he was saying goodbye either, at least not to Rhett. More like, to a way of life. If everything went to plan, he would still have Rhett here. Just not a Rhett he could be completely honest with.

“Can I ask you one last question before I go?”

“Of course you can.”

“Should I tell my Link how I feel?” Rhett asked, desperation seeping into his voice.

“I’m not sure,” Link admitted. He wished he could see that future for himself. “The only thing I know for certain is that you’ll both be happy even if you don’t.”

Rhett looked down and nodded, his question still not satisfactorily answered.

“But honestly,” Link added, “it’s hard to imagine a world where we ended up together being anything but happy.” 

Rhett gave him a tentative smile. “It’s not such a scary prospect now I know you felt the same way.”

Link nodded, he felt a lot better too, knowing it wasn’t as one-sided as he thought. “Maybe Rhett and him had the same conversations as us,” he said. “He might make the decision for you.”

Rhett snorted. “Yeah, right.” He shot a nervous glance at the machine. “What about you guys?”

Link had been wondering that himself. With the new memories he had from college, who knows what Rhett would be expecting when he came back. “We’ll start with a talk that’s about twenty wears overdue,” he shrugged. “But honestly… I don’t think anything will change.”

“Really?” Rhett said, confused. “Even after all this?”

“I know you’re having trouble accepting this, but Rhett and I are really happy,” Link said, trying his best not talk down to him. “We’re already about as close as two people can be. Would I like more? Yeah, maybe. But it’s too late I think.”

“That’s sad.”

“Not really,” Link shrugged. He looked up into Rhett’s eyes and sighed. The last two weeks had been so strange, but getting so physically close to Rhett again had been wonderful. It would be hard to get back to normal - maybe for Rhett too. Staring into Rhett’s eyes, he felt drawn to him like a magnet. “Could I maybe uh…” Link hesitated.

“What?” Rhett said curiously.

“Will you kiss me one last time?”

Rhett didn’t hesitate. With a small smile, he placed a hand on Link’s jaw and tilted his face upwards. 

“I still remember the last time we kissed in college,” Link breathed. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since.”

“Oh Link…” Rhett said, pity written all over his face.

Link could feel Rhett’s breath against his lips. “If I’d known it was going to be with the last time I’d have appreciated it more.” He stood on his toes to close the distance between them, pressing their lips together. He felt Rhett’s hand on his lower back and responded by looping his arms around Rhett’s neck. Link tried to take Rhett in with all his senses - the feel of his beard, his subtle scent, the quiet hum that showed his contentment… Link found himself fighting back tears. If this was to be their last kiss, Link was satisfied. 

And then all too soon, it was over.

They separated and shared a sad smile. “Thank you,” Link said, “for everything.”

Rhett gave Link’s hip a gentle squeeze and said “let’s get Eleanor.”

The three of them were soon gathered around the time machine, all trying to put on a brave face. Eleanor positioned Rhett on one side of the workbench and Link and herself on the other side, back a few steps.

“Are you ready sweetie?” she asked Rhett.

“As I’ll ever be,” Rhett said.

“Good luck man,” Link said, unsure what the appropriate sentiment was for someone about to travel in time.

“Thanks bo,” Rhett grinned.

Eleanor flipped a new switch on the side of the machine. It didn’t appear to do anything, but seemed satisfied. “Okay Rhett, when you’re ready, press the button,” she said calmly, before adding, “and good luck.”

Rhett gave her a nod. “Okay,” he said, sighing out a shaky breath. “Bye guys, see you in twenty years.” He held his finger over the button, closed his eyes, and pressed it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus: The letter Rhett wrote and never delivered (picture)

Before Christmas 1997, Rhett wrote a letter to Link that he never gave him.  
[Click here](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/44d98286-683b-4adb-a819-92272758a35c/ddm7kze-3a45fe56-a7f8-496d-b568-803336a1a101.jpg/v1/fill/w_1600,h_1200,q_75,strp/2019_12_13_12_48_03_by_scorchedangel_ddm7kze-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTIwMCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzQ0ZDk4Mjg2LTY4M2ItNGFkYi1hODE5LTkyMjcyNzU4YTM1Y1wvZGRtN2t6ZS0zYTQ1ZmU1Ni1hN2Y4LTQ5NmQtYjU2OC04MDMzMzZhMWExMDEuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE2MDAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.NjRFrPxlehk-_1frzJ6VPM-fOYSBQws7an7ErECvVIw) to read the letter.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me! I can't believe it's over! Onwards and upwards

Rhett opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings, his ears ringing from the pain in his head. As the world came into focus he could just about make out the silhouette of two people rushing towards him.

“Rhett!” A familiar voice shouted.

Despite the pain and confusion, Rhett smiled to himself. He was home. He  _ had _ to be. He tried to speak but all that came out was a grunt. 

“Don’t try to move,” Link instructed him. “Do you have something soft to put under his head?” He asked the other person.

Rhett tried to speak again, this time managing a “Link.” 

“It’s me buddy,” Link said. “Try to relax. Take your time…”

Rhett’s vision was blurred but he could just about make out a workshop, half full of items he didn’t recognize. Link lifted his head and placed a pillow between him and the hard concrete floor. As Link leaned down over him, Rhett saw his familiar salt and pepper hair and glasses. He’d never been happier to see anyone in his life.

“Link,” he said again, and reached out a hand to touch him, just to make sure.

Link smiled down at him and took Rhett’s hand between his. “You’re home,” he said, both relief and wonder evident in his voice.

The next thing Rhett knew, Link was hugging him tightly. Rhett’s arms were weak, but he managed to get them up high enough to wrap them around Link. “It’s me. You’re okay,” Link muttered against his neck.

When Rhett had recovered enough to stand up, Link introduced him to Eleanor. Rhett’s memory was still a little hazy but he could just about remember meeting her before. He didn’t know whether to be amazed or furious. Ultimately, she had got him back though, so he shook her hand and thanked her for her help.

Link called Jessie to tell her Rhett had ‘gotten his memory back’ and for her and the kids to meet them at the McLaughin’s and they were soon driving back to Rhett’s house in Link’s car. Rhett had initially asked to drive but when Link pointed out he had recently hit his head, he agreed to get into the passenger side. 

“So uh… what was it like?” Link asked.

Rhett blew out a breath. That was a big question. “Being back at NC State? In the 90s?” he said. “Very weird… but nice, you know? Nostalgic.” 

“Like you remembered?” 

Rhett nodded. “Exactly like I remembered,” he said. “It was like my muscle memory kicked in or something. I found our dorm room without even thinking about it.” 

“And um…”

“And you.” Rhett felt a pang of regret that now he was back in 2019, he and Link weren’t a couple any more. They needed to talk about it before their lives went back to normal, but Rhett didn’t want the feeling to end.

“I remember it you know,” Link said, keeping his eyes forward, “what you did together back then.”

It felt like Link was accusing him of something and Rhett felt briefly defensive before realizing Link had behaved in exactly the same way, if not worse. “I remember what you did together here too,” Rhett pointed out. 

“Oh right,” Link said, still not looking over.

They drove in silence for a moment. Rhett wished he’d written a list of talking points. They had so much to talk about and yet he couldn’t think of anything to say. “So what happens now?” he said.

Link sighed out a breath. “I assume you mean with our relationship?”

“Yeah.”

Link hesitated, finally turning to look at Rhett. He studied his face for a moment like he was looking for a clue. “I don’t really think anything can change,” he said sadly. 

Rhett nodded. He didn’t know what he’d wanted to hear, but this wasn’t it. For a second he missed teenage Link, so impulsive and optimistic, but this was the Link he needed. Pragmatic and practical. “I know you’re right,” he said, “but it’s hard to hear.”

“It’s hard to say too,” Link admitted. “I still love you though. A lot.”

“I love you too,” Rhett said. 

It felt weird for him to say it out loud. He loved Link more than any other person - as a friend, a brother, a partner - but it so often went unsaid. His trip to the past was a stark reminder of what might have happened if he’d been more open with his feelings.

“It was nice,” Link said, “being so close to you again, even for a little while.” 

“For me too,” Rhett agreed. “Let’s cool it with the ‘no homo’ bullshit from now on, huh?”

“Sounds good to me.” Link cleared his throat like he was about to speak, but fell silent again. 

Before long this would all become a memory. Rhett didn’t want either of them to leave anything unsaid. “Something else?” He prompted. 

Link shifted in his seat. “I remember  _ everything _ you did with him,” he said meaningfully.

Rhett knew what he was getting at but wanted to be sure. “Everything huh?” He said.

“Yeah,” Link said. “It was uh… really hot.”

Rhett chuckled. “You too,” he said. “Like when you guys watched Titanic. I used the memory to jerk off.” 

“Aw come on man,” Link laughed. 

“What?” Rhett said with a laugh, “we were good together!” 

Link nodded, fixing his eyes on the road again. “If you ever wanted to uh…” He hesitated.

Rhett’s heartbeat quickened. A minute ago Link had said nothing could change. “To…” he pushed.

“Like, hold hands or spoon or whatever,” Link said awkwardly. “That would be fine.”

They were close. That was no secret. Like family - closer even. There was nothing wrong with occasionally touching. They didn’t have to do it in public, and even if anyone saw them, it wouldn’t matter. Their relationship was their business. 

“Yeah!” Rhett said after a pause, like it had just occurred to him. “That would be fine, wouldn’t it?” 

“Yeah,” Link said, sounding a little relieved. 

A tiny part of Rhett was disappointed that Link hadn’t suggested they occasionally have sex (though Rhett wouldn’t have known what to say if he had). He placed his hand, palm facing up on the central console, hoping Link would notice without him having to explicitly ask. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Link glance down and smile, before putting his hand in Rhett’s.

-

They made it to Rhett’s house before his family and went inside to wait. Rhett had spent much longer periods away from home, but he’d never been quite as happy to be in his own house. He looked around the living room, mentally saying hello to his favorite chair, the pictures on the walls, the pile of sneakers under the end table from when he had kicked them off after work, and Link grinning at him from the middle of the room.

“You have no idea how good it is to see you actually recognize things,” he said, walking up to Rhett and taking hold of his hand. “That was a scary couple of weeks.”

Rhett nodded. It had been scary for him too, not knowing if he’d ever make it back and not being able to do anything about it. He took hold of Link’s other hand and smiled. “I was starting to think I might just have to get used to living in 1998 with you at twenty.”

Link squeezed his hand. “I know what you mean. Twenty year old Rhett is better than no Rhett, but I can’t even tell you how happy I am to have you back,” Link said, looking up at Rhett innocently. “At least you had the younger, hotter version of me.”

“Hey!” Rhett protested, “I’m young and hot now.”

Link laughed. “You know exactly what I mean. You think I didn’t notice the way you looked at me back then?”

“What can I say?” Rhett shrugged. “Youth is attractive. And you were literally begging me to sleep with you!”

Link looked a little embarrassed, but laughed anyway. “I don’t remember us both being so horny all the time.”

Rhett looked down at their joined hands. This was enough. “I know we agreed nothing was going to change,” he said softly. “But I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”

“Do it now,” Link breathed.

Rhett studied Link’s face, noticing more clearly than ever the changes of the past 21 years. Sure, there was his glasses and grey hair, but Rhett also noticed the smaller things. The new lines when he smiled, the slightly changed position of the mole under his eye, the shape of the stubble on his cheeks. Still beautiful after all these years. Still the most handsome man Rhett knew.

He placed a hand on Link’s jaw and tilted his face upwards. “Goodbye bo,” he said. With a smile on both their lips, Rhett kissed Link for the first and last time as two adults. 

Their mouths still fit together perfectly after all these years. Link moved his hand to the back of Rhett’s neck pressing them even closer together. Rhett smiled against Link’s lips, trying his best not to make the moment sad. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Link’s. “Thank you,” he said.

As they separated, Rhett was suddenly struck by a stream of new memories. He and Link telling their college friends they were going to try dating each other for a while to see how it went (no one was surprised). Going home and telling their families one at a time that they were together (they were surprised but supportive for the most part). Moving in together after college and making videos in the basement. Writing songs together during the day and spending their evenings together curled up on the couch. Starting their website. Switching to YouTube. Starting GMM as an out and proud couple. Getting married as soon as same-sex marriage became legal.

The sound of Jessie’s car pulling into the driveway brought him back to reality. He smiled down at Link, feeling blissed out with everything he’d just seen.

Link was smiling back having just experienced the same memories. “They did it,” he said, his eyes wet with tears.

Rhett nodded. “They’re happy.”


End file.
